


Innocence and Shadows

by Faindessiness



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Age Difference, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Blood and Gore, Canon X OC - Freeform, Childbirth, Eventual Smut, F/M, First Time, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Hurt/Comfort, Loss of Virginity, Pregnancy, Vampire!Hanzo, Violence, Voice Kink, kind of graphic labor, mention of other characters, mention of other characters death, oc is also a pure cinnamon roll, oc is very shy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-21
Updated: 2019-03-08
Packaged: 2019-08-05 04:18:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 12
Words: 50,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16360646
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Faindessiness/pseuds/Faindessiness
Summary: All of her life Edith had been seen as a witch. She had lost everything dear to her. She hoped that one day she would find peace. After being chased by an angry mob, Edith finds an old mansion within the woods. Little did she know that the man in the mansion would take a strong liking to her.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I got this idea after seeing the HotS icon of Vampire!Hanzo. I am very sorry if this story is bad. I did my best.

Tears blinded the girl's vision as she ran through the darkness. She could feel the tree branches scratch at her skin, as well as tearing her clothes. Though it hurt so much, it didn't stop the girl from running. Pieces of cloth remained within the branches, allowing the angry mob to find them and follow her trail.

The cold air hit against the girl's skin, burning her eyes while tears still fell from her face. She couldn't see anything besides the silhouettes of the trees. She could hear the voices of the angry mob yelling from behind her as they grew closer and closer. The girl knew she couldn't keep running. Sooner or later they would catch her and she would end up dead. Even though she had yearned death for so long, what made her keep on living was the fear of being burned at the stake.

So many of the villagers thought of her as a witch. The thing was she wasn't a witch. She was just a normal girl. She and her family were normal people. Why did they think she was a witch? What did she do to make them think she was one? What did she do wrong? Quickly, the girl hid behind one of the trees to catch her breath. She couldn't keep on going. Right as she thought she was safe, the girl heard the voices of the men who were chasing her. She covered her mouth, listening as they argued among themselves.

 

"Where did that witch go?"

 

"She must have gone this way!"

 

"No, I think she went this way!"

 

The girl could feel her heart pounding rapidly. It almost felt like it was going to explode. She feared that the men could hear it loud and clear as she could. She also feared they could also hear her heavy breathing and whimpers. What felt like hours, the men had finally left. She could hear the grass crunching beneath their feet as they went off in another direction.

Once it felt safe, the girl let out a sigh of relief. She attempted to walk away, only to feel a sharp pain coming from her right ankle. She looked down and saw a large gash. Streams of blood spilled down her ankle, almost covering her entire sock. The girl wanted to remove it, however she was more concerned about the men possibly finding the trail of blood if she were to take it off.

She had to get out of here and find somewhere safe. But where would she go? The village won't accept her. Nobody from anywhere else will accept her. There had to be someone out here. A small house maybe? If she found one, she would ask the person who lived in it if she could stay. She hoped that they would allow her to rest and treat her wounds. The girl struggled as she felt more pain coming from her body. She looked down at herself and saw that her clothes were tattered from running through the branches and tripping from earlier.

How she didn't notice the pain earlier was beyond her. Perhaps she was overwhelmed and didn't even notice she was injured while being chased. The girl held tightly onto her arms as she wobbled through the darkness. She prayed for someone to find her and save her. She prayed that someone, anyone would show her some mercy. She didn't care who or what they were, she just wanted to be safe from those angry people.

As much as she wished for someone to be out in the middle of these woods, she knew that it was unlikely. And it was also unlikely for anyone to show her any kind of sympathy. Everyone had known who she was, as well as her family. They were well known doctors, but they were accused of witchcraft. The girl was young when both her parents were killed. After their deaths, it was just her and her older sister, Rosa. Later, she was burned at the stake for accusations of being a witch.

The girl knew her fate would be the same. As much as she ran away from it and attempted to avoid it, she knew that she would be caught and put at the stake to burn. She didn't want to die like that. She rather die out here in this cold and dark place rather than being burned to death. The girl could feel tears streaming down her face.  Why did she have to suffer like this? What did she do? She didn't do anything wrong! Was this God's punishment for her existence? Was this punishment for being the only survivor of her family? Why did it have to be her to live?

When will her torment end? Will it ever end at all?

 

 

The air grew colder and colder with every minute passing by. The sound of the wind blowing and crickets chirping echoed in the girl's ears. Her head was throbbing with pain. Her body ached from soreness. She shuddered from the cold. The girl was sure that she was going to die out here. Well, it would be better than burning to death. The girl didn't care if she died now. She didn't care anymore. She just wanted to go home. She just wanted to see her family again. When the girl lifted her head up, she noticed that there was a clearing.

There was a large and old mansion in the distance. A small glimmer of hope beamed within the girl's heart. Maybe somebody lived there. Maybe they'll help her. But what if they're like the others? She would have to take her chances. Quickly, the injured girl used what little strength she had left and rushed to the mansion. She couldn't wait to feel warmth instead of the numbing cold stinging her wounds. Once she arrived on the front porch, she gently knocked on the door.

There was no response.

Again, she knocked on the door. And once again, no response. Maybe she had to knock harder. Then, the girl wondered if the door was actually locked. Curious, she pulled the handle and to her shock, it was not locked at all. She knew that it was wrong to trespass into someone's home. But she was so cold. She wanted to be somewhere safe and warm. If she explained her situation to whomever lives here, they'll probably understand and let her stay. Just for one day, though.

The girl entered the mansion. Much to her surprise, it was warm on the inside. She looked around to see if there was anyone around. There was nobody in sight. The girl shut the door behind her. She began scanning around the room. She was amazed by how fancy it looked. It seemed like there was someone living here as everything appeared shiny and polished. There was a chandelier hanging above her as well, illuminating the room.

There had to be someone living here, but who? She should let herself known to them so they don't think she's a burglar. Weakly, her voice shook as she attempted to speak,

 

"H-hello...?"

 

No response. Surely someone was living here. There was no way a lovely mansion like this was abandoned in the woods. Again, the girl let her presence known by speaking much louder with a hint of fear in her voice,

 

"H-hello."

 

Her small voice echoed within the room. Right as she was about to make her way up the steps, she spotted a dark figure standing at the top. She couldn't make out his appearance, however, she knew that it was a man from the outline of his body. Right as she locked her eyes onto him, a feeling of dread washed over her. The young girl decided that introducing herself might lift the grim atmosphere.

 

"Hello. My name is Edith. I-I'm sorry to bother you at this hour, but I was wondering if I could stay here for the night."

 

The figure didn't move. He stood in silence for a moment, his eyes locked onto her's. Edith watched as the man walked away, disappearing behind a wall. The girl was about to call out to him, however, she stopped as she heard a deep voice echo inside the room,

 

"And why should I allow you to stay within my home?"

 

Edith had no idea where the voice was coming from. It sounded like the man was everywhere. How can he be in many places at once? The girl responded to the man's question, trying her best to sound brave.

 

"I-I mean no harm. I-I just need a place to stay. I was being chased earlier by a crowd of people. They thought I was a witch. B-but I'm not, I swear!"

 

"Why should I trust what you say, girl?"

 

It didn't seem like the man wanted her in his home. It also didn't seem like he could trust her, either. How could she let him know that she wasn't a threat? She has no weapons on her and she's gravely injured. His home was remote in the middle of the woods, far from the village. Maybe the reason why the man didn't trust her was because not many people came here. Or they threatened him a lot.

 

"I-I'm sorry mister. I promise I am no threat. If it makes you feel better, I won't be staying long. I promise you that I will be gone tomorrow the first thing in the morning."

 

The gut feeling in Edith's stomach grew. She was starting to think that she was not welcomed at all. It was probably time to go.

 

"Well...if you truly don't want me here, then I'll be glad to leave. I-I apologize for troubling you."

 

Edith took a few steps back. She was starting to think that staying here might not be the best idea after all. Though she was gravely injured and desperate for somewhere to stay, it felt like this place wasn't for her, nor was it safe. She could tell from the man's threatening voice that she was not welcomed.

Or so she thought.

Suddenly, the girl felt something behind her. To her horror, she realized that it wasn't the door. All bravery and confidence she had faded away immediately. Edith knew exactly who was standing behind her. She didn't dare turn around to check though. She was too afraid to see the man's face, let alone the expression he had. His presence was enough to let her know he did not want her here. Although the tone of his voice said otherwise.

 

"Why would I allow such a beautiful girl such as yourself out of my sight?"

 

Beautiful? No, she wasn't beautiful! This man has to be tricking her! He was trying to flatter her to keep her from leaving. But the way his voice sounded...No! He was lying to her! He had to be! Edith jumped when she felt a hand placed on her shoulder. The man's grip wasn't too rough, however it was strong enough to let Edith know he was much stronger than she was.

 

"I have not had many visitors in so long. Especially ones that are as polite as you."

 

Edith could feel herself shaking in fear. Knowing that she wasn't the only one that had been here didn't make the situation feel any better. She had a bad feeling about what had happened to those people who had previously visited.

 

"In the past, most trespassed within my home. Some even threatened to kill me. There had been some who sought shelter before, only to lie to me to either take my life or steal my home and possessions. However there is something...different about you."

 

Different? How was she different? What did this man see in her that made him think she wasn't like the others? Edith felt the man's hands trail down her hips, causing her to shudder. There was something not right about this situation. Edith wanted to run away. She wanted to shove the man away from her. She wanted to overcome her fear and dash out of the door. Except if she were to do that, he would stop her before she could even turn around. He might even kill her as well.

The girl jumped as she felt the man's hot breath against her neck. He whispered with seduction,

 

"I could allow you to walk away and have you forget any of this ever happened...or I can allow you to stay here as long as you wish. I prefer the second option, my beloved."

 

Beloved? Why was he calling her such things? First he said she was beautiful, and now he called her beloved. This man didn't even know her! Was this his way of being welcoming and kind? It didn't feel like it. The girl felt more afraid than welcomed.

 

The man whispered, "Don't think I would allow you to leave in your current condition either. I could smell your blood ever since you first arrived."

 

Edith almost forgot she was bleeding! She could still feel the pain though. It hurt so much, but she didn't feel safe with this man tending to her wounds. What freaked Edith out was how the man claimed he could smell it from far away. Realization hit the girl hard, nearly causing her to faint.  
No. There was no way. He couldn't possibly be a...

Vampire?

No.

Vampires don't exist. The man was probably saying that to scare her. He's just trying to make her feel afraid so he can have power over her! She couldn't let him know she was afraid. Although she let him know that she was very afraid from the start. It was quite obvious as well. Edith felt the man remove his hands from her hips, much to her relief. He gave her some space for her to flee. Was he giving her false hope? Was he actually going to let her leave?

 

"Turn around, girl." The man commanded.

 

Did she have to? Edith hesitated. She didn't want to see the man's face. She was afraid of what he looked like. When the girl finally faced the man, she felt her heart nearly stop. Her blood went cold as she locked eyes onto the man's. His eyes were a sharp, piercing red. He kept his gaze onto the hers, waiting for the girl to respond. Edith attempted to look away, though she couldn't. Did he hypnotize her? No, she still had control of her body. It was fear that paralyzed her. Edith wanted to scream. She wanted to run out the door and never look back. It was obvious that the man found her fear amusing. The smirk on his face said it all.

 

"You look so adorable when you're afraid."

 

Adorable? He thinks she's adorable? No! No, he's lying! She's not adorable! Why is he saying such things? Why is he trying to flatter her? Edith didn't like it at all. As much as his voice made her shudder and blush, she did not like any of this at all. The man had to be lying to her so he could gain her trust. Edith's legs trembled with fear. She couldn't hold herself up any longer. She could feel the stinging pain coming from her ankle and her arms. Although she felt weak and weary, she wanted to run away. The girl wanted to just leave this place and never come back!

There were tears dripping down her cheeks. She couldn't hold them back. As much as she tried to, they wouldn't stop spilling out of her eyes. The girl lowered head, not wanting the man to see her tears. Edith didn't want to be here in this forsaken place anymore! She wanted to go home! She wanted to be with her family again! Edith flinched as she felt the man's warm hand on her cheek. He wiped away her tears, saying to her with a gentle tone,

 

"Don't cry, little one. I assure you that I am not going to hurt you."

 

"Y-you...don't want to kill me...?"

 

"I have no reason to. Besides, it would be a waste to slay such a beautiful girl such as yourself."

 

Edith had enough of his false words. She wanted to insist she was anything but beautiful. Even though the man's voice was gentle and he spoke kind words, the dread still hadn't subsided. She still couldn't trust this man. Though it felt nice to finally have someone to speak to and not accuse her of being a witch or a monster, she just couldn't trust him.

The man broke the silence as he told the girl,

 

"You might want to get your wounds cleaned up. I don't want you spilling any blood on my floors."

 

When Edith looked down at her ankle. She couldn't tell if the bleeding had stopped as her sock was drenched with it. The dark haired man then walked passed Edith, demanding her to follow him.

 

"Come with me, girl."

 

Reluctantly, she followed him. Edith still felt afraid of the man. Was he actually going to clean her wounds or was he leading her into a trap? She didn't know. She would have to wait and see. But if he intended on killing her, wouldn't he had done it by now? He had the chance to ever since she entered his home. The man was already strange enough, so who knows what his true intentions are.

As they were in the hallways, Edith glanced around and began to notice how the walls were covered with paintings. She felt creeped out by them. They were glaring at her with hateful eyes. Hopefully she won't have to ever walk down in these hallways ever again. How was that man able to live in a place like this? Perhaps to him these paintings weren't as creepy.

Edith realized that she hadn't gotten the name of the man. How rude of her.

 

"Um, mister...?"

 

"Hm?"

 

"I-I never...got your name."

 

The dark haired man stopped in the middle his tracks. Edith began to think she did something wrong. The man replied to the girl, turning his head slightly as he murmured,

 

"It's Hanzo."

 

"Hanzo..."

 

That's not a very common name around here. Edith wondered if he was from another country. Well, it wasn't any of her business anyway. She was going to be gone the next day. She would never speak to him ever again after tomorrow, so there would be no point in bonding. The two arrived in what appeared to be the dining room. Hanzo pulled a chair out for the girl. Edith sat down, admiring how fancy and large the dining room was.

Her old home had a small one. It was also their living room as well. The girl hadn't noticed that Hanzo had left until she looked over her shoulder to find him gone. She waited for a while, wondering if he was going to return. He returned of course with a wet rag in his hand. The man removed her shoe, then pulled the sock down to clean the wound. Hanzo was shocked to see how deep the gash was.

He began to wonder how in the world the girl got a cut this badly. He better clean it up before his urges kicked in. Gently, the man dabbed the wet cloth onto her wound, only to gain a whimper of pain. She also jerked her leg away. Hanzo looked up to notice the girl's eyebrows furrowed in pain. She was also holding onto the edges chair tightly. The raven haired man let out a sigh,

 

"Please don't move. It will make things difficult for the both of us."

 

"Sorry..." Was all the girl whimpered.

 

Hanzo let out a chuckle. He began to clean the wound again. The girl whimpered in pain, trying her best not to move. Edith didn't want to make the man angry or frustrated, but it was hard staying still. It hurt too much for her to even keep herself from moving. Once all of the blood had been cleaned from her ankle, Hanzo lifted the girl's shawl, revealing the scratches that had came from the branches when she was running through the woods.

Hanzo thought they were from the villagers that attacked her. He continued washing away some of the blood, as well as cleaning the wounds with another wet rag. Finally, he had finished. Hanzo wrapped a piece of white cloth around the girl's ankle in hopes to stop the bleeding. Of course, it wouldn't prevent him from smelling it. She was lucky that his hunger had already been sated.

Had it not been, she would either be dead or turned into a monster like him. It was obvious she had figured out what he was. Or she had an idea at least. Hanzo was surprised that the girl didn't run away when she had the chance. He knew she was afraid of him. It was written on her face. The raven haired man lifted the girl up from her seat, taking her tattered cloak off. Hanzo then lead the girl to a room where she could rest for the night. Thankfully it wasn't creepy like the hallways. Edith stared at the bed. It had been so long since she had seen a comfortable bed like this. Her old home had two, which she had to share with her sister. She looked at the man as if she was awaiting his permission to lie down. He nodded his head, allowing her to. As Edith took a few steps into the room, he told her,

 

"I will get you a gown for you to sleep in."

 

Edith wasn't going to question why he would have extra gowns. She was also afraid if they were from the past visitors that were here before. Hanzo left the room, allowing the girl to be alone for a while. Edith began contemplating if she should stay in the room or actually leave. It would be rude of her to leave without saying goodbye. Besides, he cleaned up her wounds. She felt a little better, although her body was sore and aching. The man might not even be a threat after all. Though Edith wasn't sure if she could fully trust him. There was something about him that frightened her. Edith knew that Hanzo was not a human. No human being has red eyes like that. Nor do they have the ability to teleport either. What was he if he was not human? Edith jumped when she heard the man open the door to the room. She saw he had a white gown in his hands. He offered it to her, which she hesitated to take.

 

"I'm not going to bite your hand off, girl."

 

That statement really didn't make her feel better. Edith yanked the gown out of his grasp. Right as she was about to change, she saw that the man was still standing at the doorway.

 

"Um..."

 

"What is wrong?"

 

"A-aren't you going to go...?"

 

"Go where?"

 

Edith blinked at him. Was he planning on watching her change!? No! He can't look at her! She doesn't want her to see him naked! She had to wait until she was married to do that kind of thing!

 

"Y-you need to leave please."

 

"Why?" Hanzo took a step into the room, keeping his eyes locked onto the girl's.

 

Edith took a step back as she explained, "I-I don't want you watching me change. Please leave."

 

Hanzo chuckled. "Alright. I'll leave you alone, then."

 

As he was about to exit the room, Edith blurted out,

 

"Tomorrow I'll be gone in the morning. I-I won't bother you anymore."

 

The man stopped. Edith felt like she had offended him. To assure him, she added,

 

"Th-thank you for your hospitality. I truly appreciate it."

 

Finally, Hanzo exited the room without another word. Edith shut the door and made sure it was locked. She didn't want him to be peeking in on her. Edith finally changed into the white gown. She was amazed by how soft and silky it was. She had never worn anything so warm before. Edith then lied on the bed. It was also warm. The girl pulled the covers up, snuggling up against them while nuzzling her head on the pillow. Never had she felt anything so comfortable in her entire life. She felt happy and safe for once. Although the man living within this mansion scared her, Edith felt safe here.

Of course hiding under the covers won't save her if the man were to enter the room. She was no longer a child. Such childish thoughts wouldn't save her from anything. For now she was safe. That was all that mattered. Besides, she would be gone the next day. The man wouldn't be able to hurt her. Edith began to feel her eyes grow heavy. It had been so long since she felt this tired before. Edith had forced herself many times in the past to remain awake. She never allowed herself to give into slumber before. And now here she was, too tired to even keep herself from falling asleep. Edith finally closed her eyes, unable to fight the need to stay awake. This will be the only time she will allow herself to sleep.

Just this once.

And by the time morning comes, she'll keep her promise and leave the mansion. Where will she go though? She has no idea. Until the next day arrives, she will figure it out. Finally, the girl gave into slumber, having the first peaceful sleep in eighteen years.


	2. Chapter 2

Edith fluttered her eyes open. Once she had fully awoke from her slumber, she realized how tired she felt. It had been so long since the girl had a decent sleep. She didn't want to get out of bed, however she forced herself to. Edith sat herself up, glancing around the room in a confused state. At first, she didn't remember where she was. She didn't recognize the room nor the bed. Then, memories of last night flooded her mind. The angry mob chasing her, nearly dying in those woods and the cold. The man who lived here who allowed her to stay for the night. Edith remembered that she made a promise to the man who resided within this mansion that she would be gone in the morning.

She didn't know what time it was as there were no windows to light up the room. There was a single candle resting on the nightstand that she didn't remember being put there. Perhaps the man put it in there for when she would wake up. What was his name again? Well, whatever it was, it didn't matter. She had to leave before he discovers she's still in his home. Edith got up from the bed and began to stretch. There was a few popping sounds from her bones. The girl hadn’t realized how stiff and hard her body was. It must have been the fact that she never took the chance to stretch, let alone rest.

Edith heard the sound of her stomach growling. She ignored it as there was no time to ask the man to make her anything to eat. It would waste his time and probably get him angry. Edith looked around the room to see if her clothes were anywhere in sight. Perhaps the man hadn't washed them or he forgot to. Edith then took the candle from the nightstand and exited the guest room. She traveled down the dark corridors, unaware of where she was going. She was so tired and scared last night that she hadn't been paying much attention. Of course she remembered the creepy hallway and the paintings hanging on the walls.

As the brunette made her way down the hallway, she found herself entering rooms that she didn't recognize. After entering a few rooms that looked familiar, Edith realized that she was going in circles. Did this man build it his mansion like this to confuse others? Or did he do it to prevent them from ever escaping. Edith suddenly remembered the man's red eyes piercing into her soul. She also remembered the things he had told her. There were others that had been here before her. He never told her what happened to them, but an unpleasant idea filled her mind of their fates. The man also claimed that he didn't have any interest in killing her. What if he changed his mind? What if he actually did plan on killing her from the very start? What if he pretended to be kind to her last night to gain her trust? The thought of the him appearing out of nowhere to only slaughter her frightened her.

Quickly, Edith sped down the hallways, her footsteps echoing as she ran. She hoped that she would find some kind of exit. Finally, she discovered the hallway that lead back to where the dining room was. When she entered, the girl saw that there was food placed on the table where she sat the other day. Edith guessed it was for the man, not for her. She heard her stomach growl once more. Maybe she can take a small piece to eat and then make her way out of this mansion. Edith slowly approached the dining table, taking some of the bread that was placed on the plate. The girl looked around to see if anyone was in sight. She then rushed out of the dining room before the man could find her.

Once she arrived at the entrance, Edith placed the candle down on one of the empty shelves for the man to pick up. There was no time to tell him goodbye or ask where her clothes were, so she might as well leave. Edith felt guilty for not thanking him for his kindness or tell him goodbye. There was something that told her it would be best if she just left now. Right as Edith was about to open the door, a familiar voice echoed within the room.

 

"Where do you think you're going, girl?"

 

Edith spun around to find the man standing right where she first met him. Atop of the staircase. The girl attempted to speak, only to end up stuttering through her sentence,

 

"I-I was just...um...about to leave..."

 

"And why would you want to leave?"

 

The girl tilted her head to the side. Did he not remember what she told him last night? She promised him that she would leave first thing in the morning. Unless it was no longer morning. Either that or it was still night time. It was impossible to tell without any windows in sight.

 

"I...I'm sorry, mister. I-I appreciate the kindness that you have offered me, however I have to get going now. Thank you again for your hospitality."

 

Edith turned away from the man. She was about to open the door, only to feel a strong force pull her back. The girl let out a gasp as she let go of the bread that she had been carrying. Edith could feel the man's body right behind her as he wrapped his arms around her, preventing her from trying to escape his grasp. Her heart raced, pounding heavily as if it was going to explode. She felt confused and afraid. Why was the man not allowing her to leave? The worst came into Edith's mind as she realized that the man might have changed his mind and decided to kill her. Well, if she was going to die here, she might as well accept it. Edith waited to feel the man's sharp fangs pierce into her skin. She waited to feel a sharp pain, her blood dripping down her shoulder, then feel her heart stop beating. Instead, nothing happened. The raven haired man whispered with a soothing voice,

 

"Why do you want to leave so soon, my dear? Didn't you say you were being chased by an angry mob yesterday?"

 

"I...I did." The girl confirmed.

 

"Then why go back out there where they can chase you again?"

 

"I...um..."

 

Edith had always found ways to avoid the mobs or escape them every time they had chased her. She never lived within the villages ever since her family's deaths. She always lived isolated from everyone. And the times she did go into the villages others would get angry with her and run her out of the village. There was never a time where anyone welcomed her at all. They always rejected her, calling her terrible names and accusing her of things she didn’t even do. Edith wasn't sure how to respond to the man without sounding like a scared little girl. She didn’t want him to hear the sorrow and fear in her voice, however it was obvious that he had caught her in whatever trap he planned for her.

 

"Do you truly want to be chased by those people again" The man questioned as he ran his fingers through her hair. "Do you want to keep living your life being tormented from those monsters? Do you want to keep running away from everything and repeat the same situations over and over again? Do you want that kind of life?”

 

Edith listened to the man's words and thought about what he was saying. She realized that he was right about her running away from everything. It was all she could ever do. It was all she ever knew to do. Ever since her family died, she always ran from everything. Angry mobs, her problems, strangers, even people who attempted to be kind towards her. Edith didn't want to live in an endless cycle of pain. Although it didn't seem like she'll ever figure out how to get out of it. The girl shuddered as the man brushed his fingers through her hair. It had been a long time since someone had done that to her. She almost forgot how soothing it felt. Edith missed it when her sister or mother would brush her hair to comfort her. What prevented her from feeling relaxed was knowing the fact that the man was a vampire and probably going to kill her. The aura he gave off made her feel unsafe.

Suddenly, the raven haired man released Edith from his grasp. Hesitantly, she turned around to face him. Edith jumped when she looked at his face again. His eyes were locked onto her as if he was looking into her soul. The brunette wasn't sure what to say or do. Was he waiting for her to speak? Did he even want her to speak? It was hard to tell from his expression. All he did was give her a glare. Edith guessed that he was mad at her for trying to leave. Or his glare was just his resting face.

 

"Um...mister-"

 

"Hanzo."

 

"Hanzo...?"

 

The raven haired man nodded his head. Edith wanted to smack herself for forgetting his name. It sounded foreign, after all. She wasn't going to question about his origins, though. It wasn't any of her business.

 

"H-Hanzo, you don't happen to have my clothes lying anywhere, do you?"

 

"You mean the tattered ones you were wearing yesterday?"

 

"Yeah."

 

"I threw them away."

 

He what!? The girl’s eyes widened in shock. "Wh-why?" Was all she uttered out.

 

Hanzo cocked one eyebrow up. "What would be the point in keeping such filthy clothes? Besides, I have better outfits for you, my dear."

 

He called her that name again...Ever since she's gotten here, he has been calling her those names. Why did he call her "dear" or "beloved?" He didn't even know her. Edith jumped as she felt the man's hand wrap around her's.

 

"Come with me, my darling. I'll give you proper clothes for you to wear."

 

Edith just stared at him with wide eyes. His touch was warm and gentle, much to her shock. It was almost comforting. Edith wanted to yank her hand out of his grasp though, however she couldn't even if she wanted to. His grip was a little tight. And even if she were to pull her hand away, the man would take it again. Hanzo lead the girl back down in the dark corridors, much to her discomfort. They entered a room that Edith hadn't seen since she had been here. She didn't remember seeing it during her journey finding the exit.

Hanzo finally let the girl's hand free. She stood frozen in place while the man went towards a large wardrobe. To pass the time, Edith glanced around the room with nervous eyes. She noticed some paintings hanging from the walls. She didn't recognize the people in them. Perhaps they were friends or family members that had passed away. There was a large bed that was to her right. The bed was large and obviously more comfortable than the one she had slept in the other night. Edith really wanted to lie down on the bed to see how comfortable it was. However she remained where she was as Hanzo searched the wardrobe.

Finally, he pulled something out. The raven haired man approached her with a long, crimson dress. Edith was amazed by how fancy it appeared. It had laces with some little bow decorating the top and the sides. Many girls would want to wear such a lovely dress like this. As much as she wanted to, Edith wasn't sure how she would be able to travel in it. It would get ruined quickly by the water and dirt. She might not even be able to run in this thing, either.

 

"Isn't that...a little too formal to wear in public?"

 

"Why would you be wearing this in public?" Hanzo questioned.

 

Before Edith could even answer his question, the man blurted out, "Do you still think you're going back out there?"

 

"Yes...?"

 

Of course, he let out a chuckle. "Did I not make myself clear to you, girl?"

 

"About what?"

 

Hanzo inched himself closer to the girl, his crimson eyes piercing into her blue ones. Edith stood frozen, her legs trembling as he said to her in a cold tone,

 

"I don't want you to leave. I am offering you to live within my home."

 

"As a maid?"

 

"As my wife."

 

Her heart nearly stopped.

Did he...really just say that? Was he being serious or actually joking? There was no way that he was being serious. What kind of person marries somebody they just met? This had to be a sick joke! No way would this man want to marry someone as pathetic as she was. After studying his expression, Edith realized that he was not joking.

He was being serious.

The brunette stuttered, wanting to gain some clarification "Y...y-you want me to be...your wife?"

 

"Did you not hear me, girl?"

 

"I did...b-but why me? You could chose somebody else. Somebody prettier. Somebody more mature. Somebody who isn't me!

 

Suddenly, Edith felt Hanzo grab a hold onto one of her hands. He entangled his fingers with her's while he used his other hand to hold the crimson dress. The entire time he had not broke his gaze. He didn't even blink, which frightened the girl.

 

"For many years I have roamed this earth, I have seen many lovers in my time. I have yearned to find the perfect lover of my dreams, and here you are; standing right before my very eyes."

 

Silence fell upon the room. Edith just stared at the man with dumbfounded look. She tried to speak, but no words would come out of her mouth. Each time she did speak, she stuttered and all of the words came out jumbled. Was this the reaction he wanted? It probably was as a small grin formed on his face. It was hard to tell if it was playful, malicious, or kind. One thing was for certain was that he knew how to make her feel speechless. Nobody in her entire life had ever spoken to her with such words before. Not a single person. Edith was pretty sure that this man was lying to her. She just couldn't shake that feeling off. Slowly, Edith pulled her hand away from Hanzo's, taking a few steps back from him to gain some space.

 

"Th-thank you for the kind words...but...um..." She brushed a lock of her hair behind her ear nervously, fumbling with parts of her gown. "I...I don't think that I am...qualified to be your wife."

 

"Oh how mistaken you are, my darling."

 

Hanzo tilted the girl's chin up. He spoke with a soothing tone as he explained, "I had yearned to find someone like you, my dear. Though I have met women who are as innocent as you...there is just something about you that is...different."

 

The man pulled his hand away from the girl. Hanzo then lifted the crimson dress up to her.

 

"I do not have a wedding ring to propose to you. So I want you to take this dress as my proposal to our marriage."

 

Edith didn't take the dress. She just stared at it. While she examined it, she began to realize that the dress was far too large for her. Even though it was a lovely gift and a very beautiful dress, it wasn't going to fit her. Hanzo took notice of the sad expression on the girl's face.

 

"Do you not like the dress, my beloved?"

 

Quickly, the girl replied, "No, I do. It's just..." Her voice trailed off, timid to reveal her reasoning to why she cannot wear it. Edith held her arms tightly, finishing her sentence with a quiet voice.

 

"It...it won't fit me..."

 

Hanzo glanced at the dress, then back at the girl. "What do you mean it won't fit you?"

 

"I-I mean that..." Did she really have to explain why she couldn't wear it? The dress was huge! Wasn't it obvious? Edith let out a frustrated sigh as she told the man, "It...it looks like a dress for a woman who's...more mature."

 

"What do you mean this is meant for a woman who's more mature? Anyone can wear this dress."

 

"No, I meant it's for a woman who has a...a m-mature..."

 

She paused.

 

"Go on." Coaxed the man.

 

Edith sighed again, mumbling out her answer as quietly as she could.

 

"It's meant for a woman with a mature body."

 

The room remained silent. After a few seconds passed Hanzo let out a laugh. Edith felt a little offended by his reaction. Once he had stopped, Hanzo cleared his throat and assured the girl,

 

"Don't worry, my dear. This dress will fit you. If it does not, I have plenty more for you to wear."

 

Edith wasn't even going to question why he had more dresses to begin with. She reluctantly took the dress just to get it over with. She might as well actually try to see if it will actually fit. Of course she didn't want Hanzo to be watching her while she changed. From the look on his face, he wanted her to be changing right in front of him. She wasn't going to do that. Until he leaves the room or turns away, she'll put the dress on. Hanzo took notice of this. He knew that the girl wanted him to leave, except he could not. The man eagerly wanted to watch her put the dress on. He also wanted to see her nude body. Perverted thoughts were flooding his mind. Quickly, Hanzo pushed them aside. Such things will come later on. He just had to wait.

 

"Um...Mister-I mean Hanzo..."

 

"Yes, my love?"

 

"Could you...leave the room, please?"

 

"I cannot do that, I'm afraid." He gave her a grin.

 

"Well, could you at least turn around?"

 

Hanzo complied with her request and turned away. The sound of fabric rustling made him feel eager to turn his head. He wanted to take one small glance at the girl's body. Just a quick peek, nothing more. Of course, he made his promise that he would not look at her while she changed. Maybe one day when they get married officially and the girl gains his trust, she'll allow him to see her nude body. Edith struggled for a while, but she managed to get the dress on. Before she could announce for Hanzo to turn around, Edith made sure that it did indeed fit and wouldn't fall down. To her amazement, it did not fall off. Edith looked at the man and announced,

 

"You can turn around now."

 

Hanzo did not waste any time. He turned back to face the girl to see her appearance. His cold heart melted at the very sight before him. The crimson dress looked so lovely on her body. It fit perfectly. To hell with any claims that it did not fit for a girl with her kind of body. It looked just right. Hanzo wanted to place his hands all over her. He wanted to kiss her everywhere on her body. He wanted to claim her right then and there. Of course, he held back his urges by keeping a calm demeanor to mask his arousal.

Edith saw that he appeared to be more agitated suddenly. Hanzo's gaze lingered on her for quite too long. He hadn't said a single thing since she put the dress on. His eyes were still locked onto her's. There was a hungry look in his eyes. It was filled with passion. The brunette held her arms tightly together in embarrassment. She lowered her head as her cheeks flushed. Was he going to say anything or just gawk at her? Suddenly, Hanzo took a hold of the girl's wrists. He placed them to her sides. Then, he brushed a lock of her hair behind her shoulder as he whispered,

 

"You look so beautiful."

 

"I highly doubt that."

 

"If you were to look in a mirror, I'm sure your opinion would change."

 

That made her wonder what she did look wearing this. She probably looked stupid in it. The dress might even be falling off of her body right now. A large and fancy dress like this was meant for more mature and wealthy women, not for a poor and small girl like her. Hanzo noticed the sorrowful look returned on the girl's face. He did not want his beloved to have that look on her face.

He wanted her to be happy. He wanted to see her smile. Just once.

Hanzo lifted the girl's chin up to meet his gaze. He gave her a kind smile, which ended up looking more like a wicked one. As he brushed the girl's brunette hair over her shoulder once more, he asked her,

 

"Do you accept my proposal, my beloved? Will you be my wife?"

 

The girl felt too afraid to say no. She was even afraid to say yes. Edith didn't even know this man at all. What if he was actually cruel and heartless? What if he was just acting kind and friendly towards her just to gain her trust? His appearance did frighten her. He is handsome, though that wouldn't stop her from feeling afraid of him. Edith wasn't sure if Hanzo even loved her at all. His opinion on her might even change as time goes on. He might end up leaving her for another woman who'll be much more pretty and wealthy. What if he brings multiple women over? The idea nearly made the girl cry.

Edith hadn't realized she was taking a long time answer the man's question as he spoke with his dark and yet calm voice.

 

"Well?"

 

The girl took a deep breath. She stuttered, revealing her answer,

 

"I...I...I do..."

 

Hanzo's grin grew wide. To Edith's surprise, He pulled her towards his body. She let out a squeak when she hit his chest. Hanzo's arms wrapped around her small body to prevent her from trying to escape his grasp. It was obvious that she wasn't going to even try to escape. Even if she could, she would fail as he would just quickly snatch her right back into his grasp. Besides, he far stronger than she was, so escaping would be futile. Edith looked up at the man with wide eyes, fearing what his next move was. She felt a hand creep behind her back, his fingers brushing through her silky, brunette hair. He bent himself forward, his lips only inches away from her's.

 

"We do not need a wedding to celebrate our marriage, as no one will even come to attend. I will claim you as my bride right here, right now."

 

Before Hanzo could kiss her, he leaned into her ear, whispering with his sultry voice,

 

"You are mine. Forever."

 

Finally, their lips connected. Edith flinched in response. She had never experienced anything like this before. She wasn't sure how to react. All she could do was stand there and give in. Edith could feel the man's sharp fangs nibbling on her lower lip. It made her tense up a little bit, fearing that the man would bite down onto her. Luckily he did not. After a few seconds passed, Edith allowed herself to give in, even though she was still afraid of the man. Hanzo deepened their kiss. He wanted to go further. He wanted more than just simple kisses. Except if he were to rush things now, he might end up regretting it. The man wanted this moment last forever. He did not want it to end.

Hanzo began feeling his cheeks burning up. What was this feeling inside his chest? This burning sensation?

Was this love? Or was this lust?

It had been so long since he even felt such emotions like this in his life. This might as well be lust he is feeling. Then again, it could also be love. Right when he saw the girl enter his home, he felt as if she was the one for him. Hanzo wanted to spend the rest of his immortal life with her. He wanted to spend every single second with her. He wanted her to have his children. He wanted her to show him the good in humanity that he had forgotten so long ago.

Within his thoughts, the raven haired man realized something that he had forgotten.

This was what happiness felt like.


	3. Chapter 3

It almost felt like a dream living inside this mansion. Edith had everything she could ever want. She had fancy and lovely dresses to wear, well cooked meals she never tried before, and a large, comfy bed to sleep in. Never had Edith thought she would end up living like this. As a little girl, she had hoped a prince would come find her and take her away to his large castle. She always dreamed of living in a place like this with the man of of her dreams. Of course that was all it was. A dream. A silly fairy tale that mothers read to their children. Except this wasn't a dream. It was reality. There was only one downside to her fantasy;

Him.

The only reason why she stayed inside of the mansion was because of the man she married. Hanzo...Sometimes Edith found herself lying in bed, questioning herself. It didn't do her much good as it brought more questions that would never be answered. Why did she agree to marry him? Why didn't she have the courage to run away when she had the chance? Why couldn't she have rejected his offer?

Two weeks had passed by since they wedded and yet Edith still felt alone. She had never felt more alone in her entire life. Hanzo was in the mansion, however he was never around her much. The only times she did see him was when he was in the library, the kitchen, or walking down the corridors. Hanzo would always ignore her each time she passed by him. It was almost as if he couldn't see her.

As much as Edith hated it, she felt relieved as well. It just didn't feel right being married to a man like him. Edith wanted to get married before, and yet here she was, the wife of a stranger. The wife of a monster. Edith would sometimes ask her self why Hanzo would marry her in the first place. What did he see in her that made him attracted towards her? It had to be her looks, or the fact that she was shy and timid.

Or perhaps he didn't love her at all.

Edith kept telling herself that Hanzo didn't love her. He just married her for her appearance and nothing more. No man would ever truly love a girl like her. There were much prettier and elegant women out there, even mature and wealthy women for Hanzo to marry, and yet he chose a stupid, poor little girl. Edith wanted to like him. She really did, but, she just couldn't. Knowing that he was a vampire scared her. Though he hadn't revealed that he was, it was obvious he was one. His eyes and fangs were hard evidence. Edith feared of confronting the man of his origins and whether or not he truly was a vampire. Not only that, she even feared of asking him simple questions. Such as where he came from, what he liked, what he disliked, his hobbies, anything. Edith was too scared to start up a single conversation with her own husband.

She was also afraid of going near him, let alone looking at him, especially in the eyes. One small look could possibly set off the man and make him snap. A few weeks had passed by and the man began acting strange, but how would she know what his behavior was? Hanzo was formal when she first arrived. A little flirty too, but now he was acting...odd. Whenever she wasn't looking, she could sense him hovering over her. It was easy to know when he had entered the room. His presence gave it off easily. Although they never talked to each other much, Hanzo would show his affection towards her. Edith wouldn't understand why he complimented her so much or showered her with kisses. She didn't feel like she deserved them. Even though she did enjoy it when he was close to her, holding her to his chest and snuggling with her, it felt forced. Sometimes whenever she was alone either in the library minding her own business, she would feel Hanzo grab her from behind. He would wrap his strong arms around her into a tight embrace, giving her small kisses on the cheek as he would whisper,

"I love you."

Not once did Edith return any sign of affection towards her own husband. She feared to, thinking it would anger him. She had heard tales from some women and children about how some husbands would beat their wives for the pettiest of things. She didn't want her husband to hit her or beat her, so she kept herself as distant as she could from the man. Fear prevented the girl from returning her husband's feelings back. What if she ended up doing something he didn't like? Would he slap her? Would he insult her and yell at her? Would he beat her to a bloody pulp?

The girl tried not to think about what would happen if she did upset her husband. Though if she could, Edith would give him hugs, kisses, and compliments as well. She would return his feelings back to him. Sadly, Edith kept herself silent and stayed that way. Her husband might not like it when someone else gave him affection. Honestly, Edith didn't know any other way to return her feelings back to him. Hugs and kisses were the only things she could think of.

It's what her parents did when she was younger. She saw her parents kissing each other on the cheek, telling them how much they loved each other. She and her older sister would hug each other. That was when she was little, though. The difference now was that she was married to a man she didn't even know well enough to consider him her husband. Besides, Hanzo didn't seem like the kind of man who wanted hugs or kisses.

Even though she was around somebody else, she felt alone. She felt trapped. Edith thought she was more like a prisoner within this mansion than a wife. She did everything Hanzo asked her to do. She didn't question him or talk back. Luckily he didn't ask her to do anything strange. All she did was clean around the mansion and attempt to try and make him dinner. The first time she cooked him dinner it was a complete mess. 

That day forward, Hanzo had to cook the food.

Edith didn't understand why he cooked the food as he never ate. As a matter of fact, he was never tired, either. Hanzo did appear grumpy and his eyes showed that he was tired. He never went to their bedroom and slept with her. Perhaps he slept in the day. After all, he was a vampire. Edith had never caught him sleeping or resting. She never even caught him eating. Edith hoped she would never have to catch him eating a dead body of a human being.

 

 

Days began to pass by within the mansion. It was almost as if time never even moved at all. It was always dark, even when there was daylight. Edith felt even more distant to her husband than before. She was always on guard, fearing that he would sneak up behind her one day and kill her. She always had a weapon on her just in case he did try anything like that.

It grew colder inside the castle. Edith had been used to the cold temperature all of her life. Now she could finally feel it. Edith wanted to go outside. She wanted to get out of this stupid mansion and be free. She wanted to run as far as she could away from the man she was forced to marry. At the same time, she was too scared to even leave. Where would she go? Who would help her? Edith's heart was conflicted. She wanted to leave the mansion but at the same time she wanted to stay. This place was the only shelter she ever had since the death of her family. If she were to run away, Hanzo would catch up to her and drag her back. She wasn't sure if that would happen, however Edith had a feeling that was what would happen.

The girl wanted to ask her husband if she could go outside and feel the fresh air. She wanted to ask him if he even felt anything for her. There were so many questions the girl had for her husband. Edith deeply wanted to ask them so badly, but she couldn't.

She was scared of him.

She was afraid of what he would do to her if she even dared to ask one simple question.

If only she had the confidence he had. If only she wasn't such a pathetic, stupid, weak, little girl.

 

 

Hanzo was no fool. He noticed the moment his wife began avoiding him. It seemed like every time they made eye contact, she would panic and run in the opposite direction. At first, Hanzo believed it was because she was shy. Then he realized it was more than that.

She was afraid of him.

The fear in her face showed every time he laid his eyes upon her. He knew that he was a monster. He was fully aware. But each time his new wife ran away from him, it made him feel even more like a monster. Hanzo had done nothing wrong to her. Yes, the first time she arrived he made some creepy remarks and threats, but he didn't plan on actually hurting her. If only the girl would allow him in her heart. She was his wife after all. It had only been a few weeks and still she was avoiding him. Hanzo wanted to confront the girl. He wanted to do something to make her feel less afraid of him. He wanted her trust. After all of these centuries of living in this cold and lonely world, he finally found someone he liked, somebody to share the rest of his existence with.

And yet she was afraid of him. His own beloved wife was afraid of him. If he were human, would she still love him? Or would she still be afraid of him? They had only met, however there was something about her that made him feel human again. Hanzo wanted to at least have one simple conversation with her. Of course his pride wouldn't allow him to do so. And yet that was the exact reason why his wife wouldn't fall in love with him.

Hanzo made himself appear threatening. He acted too serious and too stoic towards her. His glare made her tremble with fear. The look he gave her with his crimson eyes made her run away. The man cursed himself for making his poor beloved afraid of him. He couldn't take the loneliness anymore. He wanted to be with her. Hanzo found himself staring at the mirror. There was no reflection to show himself. Just how there was nothing to show himself towards his beloved wife. The raven haired man wanted to slam his fists against the glass. He wanted to scratch his nails against it in anger. Perhaps he should give his wife a little more time to open up to him. Maybe then she will accept him. Until then, he must be patient. It will take some time, but the girl will open up to him. He was certain of it.

 

 

A month passed by, soon another passed by, and another. No progress was showing between the couple. It didn't seem like things were getting any better between them. Edith was still afraid of her husband. She was still running away from him and avoiding him, but now she was hiding from him. She would either hide in the library or in the bedroom. However since he was a vampire, Hanzo could tell exactly where Edith was hiding. He never went to reveal her hiding spot though as he wanted to give her some relief.  
As time went by, Hanzo did everything he could to show her that he loved her. He would give her small hints of affection by complimenting her. Edith would either brush him off or just stare at him as if he was insane. Then he attempted to start a conversation with her. They never went anywhere as Edith thought he was either talking to himself or she ignored him.

He began to grow more handsy and cuddly with her. He messed up his own sleeping schedule just to be with her more. When night came and she went to bed, Hanzo would head in their bedroom and wrap his arms around the girl. His warmth comforted the girl. She allowed him to cuddle with her. Secretly Edith enjoyed it. She didn't want to admit to him, so she would pretend she was asleep.

His cape was like a second blanket for her, keeping her warm and safe. She would remain awake sometimes to listen to her husband's snoring. It was a good thing he wasn't loud, otherwise she wouldn't be able to fall back asleep. Edith didn't understand why the man was being so kind to her all of the sudden. Honestly she couldn’t tell if he was actually being nice or pretending. His compliments sounded forced. He would always speak to her with an annoyed tone of voice, as if he didn't want to speak to her.

"You look lovely, my dear." He would say. Or, "You're so adorable."

To the girl, she thought that he was faking it. Little did she know his words were true. Edith would jump every time she felt the man wrap his arms around her. She didn't know what to say when he complimented her or when he attempted to start a conversation. Edith didn't know why she reacted the way she did. She would prepare herself for when he did sneak up behind her, however the man always got her each time. It was so sudden and by the time Edith turned around to confront him, her husband would already gone. Edith didn't understand why Hanzo was doing this to her. Was he pretending to be happy with her or was he taunting her?

They rarely spoke to each other. The only times they do talk are when her husband gives her compliments or attempt to have some kind of dialogue with one another. She was still afraid of him even after all this time. Hanzo was starting to become frustrated with her. He would try his best not to show it, although would seep through the cracks of his facade. Edith still looked at him with fear. She still avoided him. She still ignored him.

Hanzo stared at himself in the mirror again. He clenched his fists tightly as anger boiled up inside him. What did he do wrong? Why won't she let him love her? Why does she hate him that much? Why won't she accept his love?! Why!? In a rage, Hanzo slammed his fist against the glass, shattering it into pieces. He snapped out of his rage once he smelled the scent of his own blood. The man pulled the glass out of his knuckles one by one. It didn't hurt. That kind of pain numbed out years ago. The only pain he could feel was in his heart. Hanzo glanced down at the pieces of the mirror.

As the man wrapped his hand up with a black piece of cloth, he decided that he might as well wash it up with water. Hanzo went down the dark corridors. During his walk, thoughts rushed through his head. What is he going to do about this girl? Should he make the first move and attempt to get to know her more? Should he just let her out of the mansion? He can't be in the sunlight, and she usually went to bed early. Perhaps he should just let her be free. It felt like he was keeping a bird within a cage. Edith wasn't meant to be inside of this place. It was too dark and gloomy for her taste. It was probably for the best anyway. Hanzo snapped out of his trance when he felt something bump into him. He looked down to find that it was Edith. She let out a gasp after realizing who she ran into.

She let out a quick, "I'm sorry" and was about to make a run for it. Without thinking, Hanzo snatched her wrist. Edith gasped, slowly turning around to find that the man was glaring at her again. She was certain he was going to kill her now. Maybe he was going to beat her to death. Edith waited to feel a sharp pain against her cheek. She waited for him to slice her neck open. Instead, he just stared at her with hateful eyes. Edith let out a squeak as the man pulled her closer to him.

 

"Why..." He whispered. "Why...?"

 

"Wh-why what?" The girl stammered. "Why did I run into you?"

 

"No!" Edith flinched when he let out a hiss. "Not that! I want to know why you avoid me."

 

Confused, the girl slightly tilted her head to the side. Hanzo then asked the girl,

 

"Why do you run from me? Why do you always avoid me whenever I attempt to speak to you? Why? What did I do? What did I do to make you hate me?"

 

There was a hint of pain in his voice with the last question he asked. Edith could hear it. Was he going to cry? When Edith looked into the man's eyes once more, she noticed small beads of tears forming in the corner of his eyes.

 

"It's been nearly three months since we met. I welcomed you into my home. I gave you everything you ever desired; shelter, food, a bed to sleep in, clothes for you to wear, I gave it all to you...and yet you still deny me. Why?! Why do you hate me?!"

 

Her eyes were wide open. In both shock and fear. Hanzo's grip loosened, allowing her to take a step back. The girl whimpered, revealing her answer to the man,

 

"I...I don't hate you."

 

"You don't?"

 

"N-no..." Edith placed both her hands on her chest, holding tightly onto the fabric of her dress. Her hands trembled as she lowered her head. "I...I never hated you...I'm..." She hesitated to finish her sentence. No, she can't let fear get to her. She can't keep allowing it to control her. Edith lifted her head back up, her eyes locked right onto the man's as she finished her sentence,

 

"I'm afraid of you."

 

Silence fell upon the room Hanzo stared at the girl, his face devoid of any kind of expression. However on the inside, he was surprised. So she was afraid of him after all. Hanzo wished that he confronted her about this sooner than later. If only he wasn't too prideful of himself, then he would have known this by now. Even though it was obvious that she showed signs that she was afraid of him, Hanzo brushed it away as mere shyness.

Edith was timid. She had been all her life. But being around the man made her feel even worse. Her anxiety grew, she would tremble each time he even came close to her. The girl flinched when she felt the man's hand on her cheek. She expected to feel him claw at her skin in anger. She expected his hand to reach further down and tightly grip onto her neck, choking the life out of her. Of course, he did not do either of those things. Hanzo brushed his fingers against her cheek, making her shudder by his soft touch.

 

"I guess it would be silly of me to ask why you fear me." The raven haired man commented. "Though I wish to know."

 

"W-well...you look scary..."

 

"Is it because of the facial hair?"

 

"No! It's not that!"

 

"Then what is it that makes you afraid of me?"

 

She tried to tell him. The words wouldn't come out of her mouth. Edith knew exactly what made her afraid of him, however, that very fear was preventing her to speak. Hanzo knew it as well. He took a step closer, which in turn made Edith take a step back.

 

"Does my voice frighten you, dear?"

 

Edith shook her head. His voice did the opposite of that. It calmed her. It soothed her. The man's voice was music to her ears. She wished he didn't speak to her with that tone, though. The way he spoke to her just now didn't make her feel afraid. It made her feel...strange. There were butterflies in her stomach. Edith wanted to push that feeling away in the deepest pits of her heart before it showed.

 

"Why are you so scared of me, my love?"

 

Pressure began to build up. Edith was certain that she was going to explode and break down into tears. The more Hanzo got closer to her, the more she felt like she was going to cry. Edith wanted to ask him to stop towering over her. She wanted to ask him to just stop and leave her alone. Yet at the same time, she wanted to hug him. She wanted to spill out all of her feelings onto him. They had been married for three months and it still felt like they were strangers to each other. Edith didn't know a single thing about him, nor did he know anything about her. Though they had been together for that long, Edith wished she had gained the courage to sort herself out and embrace him in her arms as he had to her.

She wished that she had the courage to return his feelings back. She wished she wasn't such a coward. Suddenly, Edith felt herself press against the wall. There was no escape now as Hanzo pressed his body against hers, preventing her from trying to flee. She was completely helpless now. The way he stared at her made her feel queasy and dizzy. She was starting to think he was attempting to hypnotize her.

Finally, the man broke the silence. As he began to speak, his voice softened, almost a whisper as he asked her one simple question,

 

"Why do you fear me so much, my beloved?"

 

It was silent. It felt like centuries as he stared at her with his crimson orbs. Edith was unable to move, let alone blink. She panicked as she thought he had paralyzed her. Suddenly, she began to feel a painful feeling in her gut again. She remembered it all too well. It was the same feeling she had after she lost her family.

Within seconds, the girl began to cry. She couldn't keep herself composed anymore. Her emotions exploded out of her heart, making her break down into tears. Edith collapsed onto the ground, startling Hanzo. He looked at her, uncertain what to do. He must have went too far with his approach. He internally cursed at himself for being too harsh on her. As the girl cried, she sobbed through her sentences,

 

"I-I'm scared you'll...you'll hurt me. I'm so scared you'll hurt me! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"

 

She continued sobbing, covering her face with her hands. Edith didn't want him to see her in this pitiful state. She didn't want anyone to see her like this. Edith tried to force herself to stop crying, but the tears wouldn't stop. The girl couldn't control her feelings anymore. She couldn't keep it in any longer.

 

"I-I'm scared that you'll hurt me! I'm scared you'll kill me in my sleep! Every day in this mansion, I-I fear you'll hurt me! Even though I...I have wanted to die for so long...I'm now scared to die."

 

An aching feeling formed in the pit of Hanzo's cold stone heart. He hadn't felt this much pain in such a long time. Perhaps this very emotion was the reason why he made himself into the heartless man that he is now. Not only did Hanzo feel guilt, but anger. It was not directed at Edith though, rather than himself. He wanted to comfort her. He wanted to hold her close to his chest, never letting her go. Hanzo attempted to reach his hand out to the girl, only for him to withdraw in hesitation. Should he just leave her be, or should he at least attempt to show his wife that he actually cared? He continued to listen as the girl added,

 

"I...I didn't want to be afraid of you. I-I wanted to get to know you. But...every time you glared at me...every time you gave me that look I-I got scared. I feared that if I asked you one simple question, you would get angry because you either didn't want to talk to me, or the question would be stupid."

 

Now Hanzo felt even more terrible. His own beloved wife thought he would hurt her for asking him questions? That was why she never spoke to him. She never spoke to him because she feared that he would bring her harm. Why would he ever dare mark a scratch on her? Now that he thought about it, he remembered that the girl was chased from those people the first night they met. It may be possible that she had become so afraid that any person she trusted could betray her.

It made sense. Hanzo knew what it felt like to be betrayed as well. But that was so long ago. Without a single thought, Hanzo knelt down to the girl's height, pressing a hand on her shoulder. That caused her to jump. She snapped her head up, her eye wide open with tears still dripping down her face. For once her husband didn't give her a spiteful glare. His face was soft and gentle. It didn't feel right seeing him like that, and yet it was refreshing to see him not giving her a hateful look.

Hanzo pulled the girl close to him, holding her tightly his arms. Edith didn't say anything. She wasn't sure what to say or how to react. She didn't understand why he was acting so different now. Edith wasn't even sure if he was being sincere with her or just pretending to show kindness towards her. Edith lifted her head up as her husband wiped the tears away.

 

"I am so sorry for being so inconsiderate of your emotions, my dear." The man wrapped his black cape around his wife like a blanket to keep her warm. "I promise you that I would never, ever dare bring harm to you. I want you to get to know me, my beloved. I want to speak with you more. Do not hesitate to ask me any questions. I promise I won't get angry with you."

 

Edith clung tightly onto the man's shirt as more tears spilled down her face. She nuzzled her head against his chest, feeling his fingers brushing through her hair. He whispered,

 

"From now on, I promise that I will not ignore you anymore. I will listen to you when you feel angry or sad. I will listen to you as you speak about your problems, your fears, your concerns, your desires and secrets. I promise you that I will love you for all of eternity, my beloved."

 

For once in her life, Edith felt happy. She felt like she could finally trust someone. She began sobbing uncontrollably again. She thanked her husband over and over, apologizing to him as well for her outburst. Hanzo could only listen as his wife cried. He pressed one hand against the back of her head while the other was placed on her back, pulling her closer to his chest.

He promised himself he would not allow his beloved to feel anymore sadness. He swore on his life that will do everything he can to be the best husband she could ever ask for.


	4. Chapter 4

The couple began opening up to one another. It was awkward the first few times they spoke to each other, but they made progress nonetheless. Edith was still timid around her husband. She didn't avoid him or run away from him anymore. Hanzo didn't give her anymore death glares, which was a relief. He did look at her with a stoic expression. Though the tone of voice that he spoke to her with was gentle and kind.  One conversation the two had was when they were in the dining room. Edith was eating her dinner and noticed that Hanzo was sitting across from her. He had no plate or any food with him. She had never seen him eat before, so out of curiosity, she asked him if ever ate.

 

"I do." He responded. "Though I do not think you would enjoy what I ate as it would disgust you."

 

Edith froze after he finished his sentence. Quickly, the man added,

 

"I assure you that I only eat humans I don't like, darling. But..." A grin formed on his face. "I could eat you in a different way."

 

Of course Edith didn't understand what he meant by that statement. She just gave him a puzzled look. Hanzo wasn't going to try and explain to her what he really meant. They were just starting to get close, so talking about anything sexual right now would seem...awkward. The couple usually never talked to each other in the dining room. Mainly Edith was by herself while Hanzo was in his room feasting upon the blood of the humans he stored away. After he revealed that statement to her, Edith's worries about him being a vampire were confirmed. Yet for some reason she did not feel threatened. It must have been the fact that they had began bonding. Edith would sometimes worry her husband might go hungry one day and attempt to drink her blood. That would never happen, though. Hanzo said himself that he had food stored away. Edith didn't want to know where it was stored, and she hoped she never stumbled upon it.

Sometimes the couple would be in the library reading books together. Since Edith had lost her parents at a young age, along with her older sister, she was never taught much about reading or writing. Hanzo would occasionally help teach the girl. He would also read her some stories that she used to listen to as a little girl, or new stories she had never heard of. Hanzo had to make sure the stories he read weren't too graphic or traumatizing. If they were, he would attempt to alter it to make it less frightening for her. Hanzo found it strange to be reading to his wife. She wasn't a child, however she acted like one at times. The childhood trauma might have been the reason why she acted innocent. Or maybe because of her timid personality. He wasn't sure, but he knew that Edith would mature over time. He just had to be patient with her and guide her. When night came, Edith tried to force herself to stay awake to be with her husband. She wanted to stay up all night like he could so they could talk more. No matter how many times she tried to stay awake, Edith would end up falling asleep in his arms.

It was cute when the girl tried to keep herself awake. Hanzo didn't want her to ruin her sleeping patterns like he had for her. She wouldn't be able to go to sleep and she would become more tired in the day. Luckily he was able to convince her to sleep regularly as he told her that he didn't need much rest. That was a lie, though. He needed rest as much as any creature did. The couple discussed times of the day they could be together. Sun down seemed like a good idea. Hanzo usually woke up when the sun was setting and Edith was still awake at that hour. While the days passed and the two gotten to speak with one another, they learned much more about each other than they ever knew. Edith discovered that the mansion wasn't originally Hanzo's, but it originated from another family he forgot the name of. His family moved from Japan after some trouble they had with their family members. Hanzo didn't reveal too much about that as it was too personal. Edith also learned that when Hanzo was much younger he was trained by his father about archery and martial arts.

Edith wondered if Hanzo's family were also vampires. Of course she didn't ask him as she worried it would be personal. During their time together, Hanzo also learned some things about his wife that he didn't know at first. His wife enjoyed drawing. When she was younger she would doodle on old papers her parents were able to bring her. As she got older, she had no money to buy paper or anything for her to draw with, so all she had was the dirt and sticks. Her favorite animal was also a cat. Edith never had pets, but sometimes she would allow some stray animals into whatever shelter she was staying in. She was careful with which animals came into her home. She just either gave them food or shelter. She wished she could cuddle with them, though. After learning that his wife never had a pet to keep as her own, Hanzo was tempted to go find a stray cat and bring it home. That wouldn't be a good idea though as it would be dirty and could possibly get her sick. Hanzo hadn't been around animals too much, so they would probably end up attacking him. Besides, Hanzo has never really left this mansion in such a long time. Honestly, he doesn't ever want to leave.

Edith on the other hand might want to one day. She might want to go outside and spend time in the sunlight. If Hanzo could, he would join her. Except he would die immediately once he felt the sun rays against his skin. Not once had the girl even asked to go outside. She asked for some windows so she could tell when it was day or night. Hanzo said no, stating that he would catch fire. Edith had tried so many times to convince him to at least make one window in the mansion. Of course he said no. So Edith had to go outside the mansion to get fresh air. She never went too far as she feared of getting chased by villagers again. During the times she spent outside the mansion, there was no sign of anyone. The only things around were the squirrels climbing up the trees and birds chirping away. Edith hadn't realized that autumn was approaching so quickly. Leaves were falling from the branches. The front yard of the mansion was decorated with orange, red, yellow, and brown leaves.

Excited, the girl picked up a pile of leaves and brought some of them into the mansion to show her husband. It had been a long time since Edith had seen colored leaves. When she ran down the corridors, she found Hanzo in his bedroom. He was reading a book in the darkness. The only thing Edith could see was her husband's face lit by the dim lights of the candles. The girl approached her husband, holding the leaves up to him as she exclaimed,

 

"Look, Hanzo! Look at the leaves!"

 

The man lifted his head up. He looked at them, then back at his wife.

 

"What about the leaves, my dear?"

 

"They changed color!"

 

"Leaves do that when the seasons change."

 

"And you know what that means? That means winter is coming soon!"

 

"Autumn comes first, my love. Also, if you're worried about the cold weather, I assure you I have blankets that will keep us warm for the winter."

 

"No! I'm not worried about the cold. I'm excited for the winter. That means my birthday is coming soon!"

 

The man's eyes widened. Of the many days they had spent together, Hanzo still hadn't gotten his wife's birthday! She never asked for his, so he never bothered to ask for hers. Edith then placed the colored leaves on his dresser in a pile. She then went back to him and stood in front of him, her hands behind her back as she said to him,

 

"It's a lovely day outside, you know."

 

"I'm sure it is."

 

Edith frowned. "You wouldn't know because you don't have any windows."

 

"Darling, I've told you many times again and again, I cannot have any windows as the light will kill me."

 

"You could have curtains."

 

"I had tried that once. The light still burned my skin, so I covered up all the windows."

 

Edith let out a sigh. "I really want you to come outside and see the pretty leaves."

 

Hanzo motioned his hand at the dresser. "I don't need to. You brought them to me."

 

The girl was becoming frustrated with the man. She knew Hanzo couldn't go outside, but she really wanted him to at least take a small glimpse of the outside world. Suddenly, an idea popped into her head.

 

"You know...my birthday is almost coming soon...right?"

 

"You said that to me earlier, my love."

 

"I know..." Edith wanted to tell her husband her idea. But from the look on his expression, he didn't really seem interested. To him it appeared like his book was far more interesting. That wasn't going to stop her from telling him her idea. "So...I was wondering...as an early birthday present...we could um...uh...we could..."

 

She finally gained her husband's attention. Hanzo put his book down on his lap, staring at the girl. He waited for her to finish her sentence. Edith mumbled out her request, thinking that he would find it stupid,

 

"I was wondering if we could...go to the village together."

 

"That doesn't sound like a good idea, my dear."

 

She knew it. It was a stupid idea. Why did she think it was a good idea to even ask him that? Why did she even think of it in the first place? As Edith was about to apologize, Hanzo added,

 

"You know what happens to vampires when they go outside, but you don't know what will happen if a vampire goes into a village full of humans. The villagers will chase us if they found out what I was. They'll end up accusing you of being a witch. Then, they'll come to our mansion, burn it down, stake me in the heart and then they'll burn you to death!"

 

Edith knew that the villagers would come after them and kill them. Especially her. "But what if we went at night? What if we wore disguises?" She suggested.

 

"Do you have any disguises you could wear?"

 

The girl lowered her head sadly. "No."

 

Hanzo knew that Edith's intentions were good. She wanted to try and get him out more. She wanted him to travel and see the world. But Hanzo didn't want to go outside. He liked being inside the mansion. This mansion was his home. And humans were terrible people. Living among them has proved it. He had encounters with them and their interactions with him had made him believe they were all bad. But there were times where he saw that humans weren't as evil as he thought. His wife is an example of the good of humanity. She was kind and loyal. If only the rest of the world could be just like her. He didn't want his beloved to be sad, nor did he want to disappoint her. Perhaps going out for a little bit wouldn't hurt. Although he cannot go without during the daylight or without something to conceal his identity. Hanzo closed his book, getting up from his chair as he approached the girl.

 

"I will try to go out into the human world. However, if things get too dangerous, we leave immediately."

 

The girl nodded her head.

 

"We will leave tonight. I rather travel in the dark than in the light."

 

A smile appeared on the girl's face. "Thank you so much!" Edith hugged her husband tightly since she was unable to kiss him due to his height. She then withdrew herself from him, rushing out of the bedroom happily. Hanzo let out another sigh. What had he gotten himself into? Why did he agree to this in the first place? Hanzo knew fully well about the dangerous of the outside world. Even though it had been so long since he took a step outside of this place, he knew it would be dangerous for the both of them. But he was not doing this for himself. It was for Edith. She wanted to try and have him become a better person by having him go outside to learn about the human world more.

Maybe some people had changed over the past few centuries. No, they were still the same. They chased his poor wife, accusing her of being a witch. They are still as cruel as ever.  Tonight he will give humanity one last chance. If Edith is able to show him that they have changed a little bit, then perhaps he will try to travel outside of his mansion more. Edith waited for her husband. She was starting to have second thoughts while she waited for him. People might recognize her immediately once they saw her. She wasn't sure what to wear, so she stole some clothes from Hanzo's wardrobe. Edith didn't want them to think she was rich, so she just took the only things her husband had that didn't appear too formal. Hanzo finally arrived at the entryway. He wore a long black cloak that covered his entire body. His hood was, covering most of his face. Edith looked up at him, noticing the frown plastered on his face.

 

"You are not going out like that." He told her with a strict tone.

 

"Why not? I'm already dressed."

 

"If you don't want people to think you're a witch, than you need to wear something else."

 

He took the girl's wrist, dragging her back to their bedroom. Once they arrived, Hanzo went back to his wardrobe to find something else for Edith to wear. She stood behind him and watched as he searched for her new outfit. After a few seconds, he pulled out a midnight blue dress. It wasn't too formal, although it did appear to be a little too much.

 

"Wear this." Hanzo said to his wife as he gave it to her.

 

"D-don't you think it's a little too much?"

 

"No."

 

"I-I don't want them to think I'm rich or anything. But I also don't want them to think I'm a witch."

 

"Darling, you shouldn't worry about what others think of you. Except for them thinking that you are a witch. That you should be worried about."

 

Edith let out a giggle. As she took the dress, she asked, "Could you turn around, please?"

 

"My dear, there's no reason for you to be shy around me when you change."

 

"I know...but I-I just don't feel comfortable...Can you please turn around?"

 

Hanzo did as she requested. His back was facing her while she changed. The man was tempted to take a small peek at her nude body. Though they had bonded and began to fall for one another, Edith was still hesitant of going any further. She felt like they had to wait a little longer until she was ready. Hanzo didn't mind either way. He wasn't going to be dying anytime soon. Besides, they had all the time in the world until they can go a little further in their marriage. Edith finished dressing herself, brushing the dress a little bit. She then tugged on her husband's cloak, telling him,

 

"I'm done."

 

He turned back around. His face warmed up at the sight of the girl. The dress looked so perfect on her. It showed off the curves of her hips and waist. There wasn't much on her chest, but that didn't matter to him. Hanzo was tempted to pin her down onto the floor and tear the fabric off of her body. He was so tempted to bite into her skin and tease her. He wanted to take her to their bed and make love to her right now. Edith noticed that her husband was dozing off. She tilted her head to the side in confusion.

 

"Dear?"

 

Hanzo snapped out of his trance. He cleared his throat in attempt to hide his lust, "We should get going now."

 

Edith nodded her head. She followed behind her husband as he lead her out of the mansion. Right as they took a step out, Edith felt the cold breeze against her skin. She shuddered, holding her arms together to keep herself warm. She should've taken that cloak with her. Hanzo turned his head to find his wife shaking in the cold.

 

"You can hide under my cloak if you want." He offered as he held one arm up to have her snuggle up against him.

 

"N-no. I'm okay."

 

Reluctant, Hanzo lowered his arm back down as his wife followed behind him. Edith wasn't sure exactly where her husband was leading her. She hoped that this wasn't a trap of any kind. No, it couldn't be. Hanzo would never betray her. Then again, he could. He was a vampire after all. Even Hanzo himself wasn't sure where he was going. He never traveled outside much, so he didn't know exactly where the villages were. He didn't know if there was anyone else besides them out here. Suddenly, Hanzo stopped in his tracks. Edith bumped into him. She look at him, wondering if something was wrong. The man scanned the area, making sure that there wasn't anyone around to follow them.  
He couldn't smell anything, nor could he sense the presence of anyone else besides his wife. Hanzo turned to his wife and asked,

 

"Do you know where the closest village is?"

 

"Um...n-not really." Edith admitted. "I...I sort of forgot..."

 

The man blinked at her, then let out a sigh. His own wife had no idea where they were. It wasn't her fault, though. She had been in the mansion for the past few months. She hadn't even bothered to travel alone in the woods. Hanzo decided they might as well just walk around until they notice someone else to help them. Edith stood close to her husband, worrying of the possibility of other vampires lurking in the shadows. Edith began clinging onto her husband's cloak, fearing that she might end up getting taken away by an unseen force. She couldn't see well in the darkness unlike him. All she saw was the silhouettes of the trees and hear the sound of the grass crunching beneath them. Hanzo sensed that the girl was afraid. He could feel her trembling as she clung onto his cloak. He wanted to pull her underneath him so he could wrap his cloak around her to keep her warm and safe.

He wanted to carry her the rest of the way to assure her that he wouldn't let anyone hurt her. It was a silly idea . She wouldn't need to be carried. Unless she begins to get tired of walking, then he will carry her. In the distance, Edith noticed a few lights. She nudged her husband, gaining his attention. She began dragging him towards the light. The man was confused to why Edith was in a rush. He looked up and noticed the lights himself. There was a village up ahead. The man immediately took his wife's wrist, causing her to nearly lose her balance. She turned around and noticed the stern look in her husband's eyes.

 

"We need to be cautious, my dear."

 

She completely forgot about the idea of others chasing her out of the village and possibly hurting them. She looked up at her husband, nodding her head. "Alright."

 

"Also, we're not buying anything."

 

"Okay."

 

Edith gave her husband a pout. She was bummed out that she couldn't buy anything. She did have enough books back at home to entertain her, however she worried that she would end up getting bored. Luckily she didn't as there were many of them for her to read back at the mansion. The couple entered the village with caution. Edith didn't recognize the place, however something about it felt familiar. During their walk, Edith noticed that Hanzo had his hand wrapped around hers. He was gripping onto her tightly, pulling her close to him to make sure nobody took her away. It wasn't a painfully tight grip though. As they passed by a few shops, Edith began to hear the sound of cheering coming from one of the bars. Hanzo noticed that Edith had stopped in her tracks to see a group of people coming out of the bar, stumbling over their feet. Some were being carried by others, some were singing their hearts out in their drunken state. There were also some sneaking perverted glances at his wife.

 

"Keep walking." Hanzo whispered to girl.

 

He kept his eye out on some of the shady folks around the village. Some of the drunken men had approached the couple, only to immediately walk away once they noticed the glare Hanzo gave them. The voices of drunken men singing weren't the only noise filling up the village. Some of the musicians would play on their instruments. Either a fiddle or a flute. Some of the songs Hanzo either found annoying or soothing. He hadn't listened to any kind of music in a long time. He was used to the sound of the piano as it was an instrument he used to play in his youth. Edith listened to the songs, quietly humming the melody.

She couldn't help but recognize the songs as well. She swore she had heard them before. Perhaps she was imagining that she had. After walking around the village and studying the people's behaviors, he deduced that humans were still the same centuries ago. They appeared to be more superstitious and feared that some imaginary demon would come out and kill them. He didn't like the ones that looked at his wife with perverted grins. He didn't like it when they went near her, thinking he would allow them to even touch her. How stupid were they? Edith belonged to him and him alone. Despite the negatives, Hanzo did notice some of the humans weren't as bad as he thought. They were just minding their own business, speaking to one another and trying to entertain others. But still, they had more flaws than perfections. The couple hid in a dark alley where there weren't be anyone around to notice them. Hanzo pulled his hood down as he said to his wife,

 

"It appears that humanity has somewhat changed. Not too much, though."

 

"Well it's night out, so they might be more different in the day." Edith stated. "Besides, nobody called me a witch when they saw me. Isn't that a start?"

 

"I guess..." He still didn't like the things the men said to his wife. He felt himself gritting his teeth.

 

In the corner of her eye, Edith noticed something moving in the darkness. She turned her head to find that it was a small stray cat. It was a black cat. It was hard to tell if it was a kitten or not, though it was small enough to be one. Edith held her excitement to run up to it and pet it as she didn't want to scare it away. Edith knelt down, calling out to the animal with a "tsk, tsk, tsk." She gained its attention immediately, causing it's head to turn at her direction. Hanzo looked up and saw the creature as well. It slowly approached the couple as Edith held her hand out. The cat sniffed her fingers as if to see she was friendly or not. To the man's amazement, the cat actually allowed her to pet it. Edith giggled as it began to approach her husband. It wrapped its tail around him, much to his confusion. Animals hated him from what he remembered. Why does this one like him?

 

"Can we keep it?" asked Edith. "Please? I promise I'll take real good care of it."

 

Hanzo looked at the cat, then back at his wife. He wasn't sure if it would be a good idea to keep the animal. It might piss everywhere, especially on important items. It might also get lost in the mansion, or possibly killed. If Edith kept her promise to take care of it, then he had no issue.

 

"If you truly promise to take care of it, I won't throw the thing out."

 

A jolt of happiness surged through the girl's heart. Words couldn't describe how glad she was. Edith thanked her husband by embracing him with a hug. She then pulled away to pick up the cat. She did her best to hold it as carefully as she could without it clawing at her face. Edith looked at the cat's face. She wasn't sure if it was a boy or a girl.

 

"Hanzo, is this a boy or a girl?"

 

"Can you not tell?"

 

"No."

 

Reluctantly, Hanzo took the cat from the girl's arms. The cat growled as he lifted its tail up. He immediately gave the cat back to his wife as he blurted,

 

"It's a girl."

 

"How do you know?"

 

"I'm not going to explain how I know that. Just take my word for it."

 

The argument ended there. Edith watched as the cat nuzzled up against her chest. The sound of the cat's purring echoed in her ears. She was afraid to move, fearing she would awake the cat from it's sleep.

 

"I think it's time for us to head home, darling." Hanzo suggested.

 

She agreed. She wanted to take her new pet home and give it a nice, warm place to sleep. The couple made their way out of the village, hoping that they wouldn't drag the attention of others. If anyone were to see Edith carrying the cat, they would believe she was a witch. Black cats were associated with witches, after all. Thankfully the village was now vacant of people as everyone appeared to have went home. The couple made their way out of the village as they took their new pet with them. Hanzo wondered if the cat was actually a stray. She could possibly belong to somebody else and just ran off from her home. Though it didn't seem like she belonged to anyone. Edith wondered what they were going to name their new cat. She wanted it to be cute. A few names popped into her head, though she couldn't decide which one she liked the most.

They traveled back into the woods to return to the mansion. Hanzo felt foolish that he couldn't figure the way back. He felt like he should have marked the trees to let them know they had passed by them. After a few minutes, Edith handed the cat to her husband so he could carry it. He reluctantly took it in his arms. Much to his amusement, the cat purred in his arms. He thought for sure it would growl and attempt to claw at his face. After passing by a few trees, Hanzo was starting to believe they were travelling in circles. He wished that he made some kind of trail that lead back to his mansion. They were probably going to be out here all night. The man noticed that his wife stopped in her tracks.

He turned around to find her staring off in the distance. Had she found something? Did she see someone following them? Hanzo approached the girl carefully, only for her to rush off. Quickly, Hanzo pursued her.

 

"Edith!" He cried out.

 

She didn't stop. She kept on running. Finally, she stopped in her tracks. Hanzo caught up with her. As he was about to yell at her, he noticed a small house standing before them. It was in poor condition as it appeared to have been torn down and destroyed. Edith kept staring at it, much to her husband's confusion. What possessed her to come running to this place? Had she been here before? The girl broke the silence as she revealed,

 

"It's my home..."

 

She took a step forward to the house. Edith reached her hand out to touch the old wood.

 

"This...was my home..."

 

"Your childhood home or one of the places you've stayed in?"

 

"My childhood home."

 

Edith removed her hand from the wood as she commented, "I never realized how close the villages were to this house. I never even realized how close your mansion was to my home."

 

"I never realized that either..." Hanzo admitted.

 

As Edith continued staring at her old home, one question floated within the man's mind. Whatever happened to her family? She never spoke of them since they married. She never even mentioned them. This might either be the wrong time to ask her, or the perfect time.

 

"My dear," Hanzo began. "I was wondering...whatever happened to your family? You've never spoken of them to me."

 

It was silent. Edith didn't respond at all. She didn't even move. As the man was about to ask her the question again, he heard small whimpers coming from his wife. He must have opened some old wounds of the past. Hanzo was about to apologize for asking such a personal question, only to hear her speak,

 

"They died along time ago..." Edith didn't move. She kept her back facing her husband, not wanting him to see the tears. "I...I was little when both my parents died...They were accused of witchcraft. They burned my mother and hung my father...later they...they-"

 

No, she can't tell him everything. She can't let him know of her pain. He'll use it against her. Edith wanted to stop herself from revealing her past to the man. Though he had revealed some of his past to her and they had been together for a few months, Edith still felt like she couldn't tell him. She didn't want him to know of her sorrow. She didn't want him to take advantage of her pain.

She didn't want to suffer.

Edith couldn't help but spill out her emotions. She had been keeping them bottled up for so long that she had never bothered to tell anyone about her story. Here she was, in tears as she stood before her old childhood home. Edith collapsed onto the ground as memories of the past played out in her mind all over again. She wanted them to go away. She wanted to make them go away.

 

"They...they took my sister...they took her and...and they..." Edith sobbed, covering her face as she wailed, "They took her and killed her! They killed my family and left me! I had the chance to join them and here I am, the only one left in my family, living a life I don't deserve! I should have died with them! I should have died with them!"

 

She clung at her her hair, chanting the same phrase over and over. Edith didn't want her husband to see her like this. She didn't want him to be burdened with her sorrow. She didn't want him to think she was trying to get pity from him. He must think she's pathetic and putting on a show. Everyone always thought that. They always told her not to cry as nobody would care. Nobody would give a single damn if she died. Everyone would be happy. Everyone would be thankful a witch like her was out of their lives for good. Hanzo slowly approached his wife, placing the cat down onto the grass. He then knelt down beside the crying girl. The memory of that night where he confronted her about avoiding him flooded his mind. He hadn't seen her cry this much since that day. It made his heart ache to see her in this much pain. Hanzo never knew that she had suffered so much. She had been keeping this a secret from him this entire time. He wished she had told him about this, however he understood why she never spoke of it. Edith didn't completely trust him then, and now here she was, revealing her her most painful memories to him.

 

"I should have died..." She sniffled. "I...I should have died and they should have lived...I should have...I should have-"

 

The girl jumped. Her husband pulled her in a tight embrace. She didn't know how to react. She honestly expected him to slap her across the face and to put herself together. Edith expected him to yell at her and to stop acting like a child. Instead, he held her tightly in his arms.

 

"Do not ever say such words to me ever again. Never, ever say those things ever again." His voice shook at the last sentence.

 

"B-but it's true...The villagers told me I was better off dead...Everyone told me I was better off dead. I brought misfortune to others. I made everyone sad and upset. I...made everyone suffer. It's all my fault..." Edith weeped. "Everything is my fault."

 

"No!" Hanzo blurted. "Those who blamed you only wanted someone to blame for their misfortunes and their mistakes. And the deaths of your family were not of your doing, but of other humans. You do not need to blame yourself, my love. You were merely a child when it happened.

 

"B-but I...I could've done something..." She buried her head in the man's chest, repeating over and over. "I could've done something..."

 

"It's alright now, my darling." Hanzo cooed. "It's alright. They're in a better place now."

 

Hanzo had never been good at comforting others, nor was he a believer in God. Why he said that her family was in a better place was probably to give her some reassurance. He wanted to let her know that wherever they are in the afterlife is better than this hell. Edith clung tightly onto her husband's shirt, her tears staining the fabric. She wanted to apologize to him for getting it dirty. She wanted to apologize for being so emotional. She wanted to apologize for crying. She wanted to apologize for existing. Suddenly, she felt herself being lift off the ground. Hanzo held the girl close to him, shushing her her as he wrapped his cloak around her.

 

"I wanna go home..." Edith whimpered. "I-I wanna see my mommy and papa again...I wanna see Rosa gain..."

 

Rosa must be the sister who was burned. Hanzo never realized how common he and his wife were. Not by normal standards, either. Hanzo knew the pain that she was going through. He knew it all to well. The rest of the walk, Hanzo carried his wife in his arms. The black cat followed them as well. He was right about humans the first time. They were cruel and heartless. Even as time went by, they still kill innocent lives and ruin the lives of others. They don't care who suffers. They only care about showing fear to others who dare disobey them. But most importantly, they care about being right.

Though it was a long time ago that Edith had lost her family, it was not that long ago for Hanzo. Humans had not changed at all. They probably never will change. The men who tried to touch his wife tonight and the ones who killed her family were proof of that. But there were humans who had good in them. Edith was an example of that. She was the good and innocence in humanity. The couple arrived back at the mansion. Hanzo approached the front doors to hear his wife whimper again,

 

"I wanna go home..."

 

Hanzo opened the doors, stepping back into the cold mansion as he murmured,

 

"We're home, my dear. We're home."


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a heads up, this chapter is a little dark. It has some violence, gore, and attempted sexual assault.

Autumn was coming to an end. Winter was showing signs of its arrival. The air grew colder, the entire trees were obscured by the fog, the animals were either hibernating or migrated, and it grew colder during the night. Edith had to adjust to the freezing weather by wrapping herself in warm blankets or sitting beside the fireplace. Hanzo didn't like seeing his beloved wife trembling in the cold. He didn't want her to suffer in the harsh conditions of winter. The blankets were all he had to keep her warm. As an alternative, he would allow her to snuggle up against him. Though he was a vampire, he was incredibly warm to the touch. He didn't feel cold as death. He was warm just like a living person. Edith felt at ease whenever her husband snuggled up with her. It was a little awkward at times, but she got used to it. Mainly she felt much better when they were together in bed. Edith brought too many blankets on their bed. Hanzo understood why she did it, though they didn't need that many blankets. The girl ended up throwing most of them off of the bed because she ended up getting hot too quickly. She decided that two extra blankets were fine to keep her warm.

Edith hadn't gone out since winter had arrived. Though she didn't have anything else to do, she wondered if she could go outside just for a little bit. When she opened the door, she was greeted to the sight of pure white snow covering the yard. It hadn't gotten to their porch, luckily. Edith gazed in awe. Their entire front yard was wrapped in a white blanket. She hadn't seen this much snow in a long time. Eagerly, girl ran back into the mansion, shutting the door behind her so the cold wind wouldn't come in. Edith looked for her husband to tell him what she saw. She wanted him to see what it looked like. Hanzo was in their bedroom, reading one of his books. Edith ran over to him and blurted,

 

"Darling! Come outside! Quickly!"

 

"What is it?" Hanzo looked up with slight concern. "Are there people who want to see us?"

 

"No! Come on!"

 

Before she could leave, she paused to see if her husband was following her. Of course he wasn't. He remained where he was.

 

"Edith, I told you once and I won't tell you again-"

 

"But it's snow! There's so much snow outside!"

 

"Have you ever seen snow before?"

 

"Have you?" Edith retorted. "Look, you don't have to go outside, but I want you to at least look."

 

The man let out a sigh. He muttered, "Fine." under his breath as he tossed his book onto his bed. He followed his wife with a hint of annoyance. Did she always have to pester him whenever he was reading? Hanzo loved his wife, but he hated that she forced him away from the things he was doing. She was innocent, yes. She didn't understand that what he was doing was important, but he didn't want yell at her and hurt her feelings. When they arrived at the door, Edith opened it. Hanzo took a step back to hide himself from the sunlight. To his shock, there was no light. He didn't feel his skin burning from the touch of sunlight. In fact, he only felt cold. Then, the vampire who had hid himself away for so long, gazed in complete awe at the very sight before him. It had been centuries since he's seen what the winter truly looked like.

He had seen paintings of the winter and when he was much younger he had played outside in the snow, but now it had returned. Hanzo almost forgot how lovely the freezing weather could be. He completely forgot how beautiful winter was. Edith felt proud of herself when she noticed the expression on her husband's face. She couldn't help but let out a giggle. That caught the man's attention. Then, Hanzo cleared his throat as he said to Edith,

 

"I guess...going outside wouldn't be so bad."

 

"You mean...you wanna come outside with me?"

 

"Yes. But you have to wear something warm."

 

"Do you have anything warm for me to wear?" Edith questioned.

 

"As a matter of fact, yes. I do."

 

The couple made their way back to their bedroom where Edith asked,

 

"How come you have so many clothes, again?"

 

"Remember I said that you weren't the first human to stay here?"

 

Edith almost felt her heart stop. She completely forgot she wasn't the first person here. Edith didn't even want to know whose clothes were drenched in blood and which ones weren't. Hanzo pulled out a black winter dress for his wife. He gave it to her and before she could even asked, he turned around. Hanzo waited until his wife was completely dressed. It annoyed him that he still couldn't watch her dress. They were married and she told him she can't do certain things until she was married. Well, they are, are they not? Perhaps he needs to give her a little more time. Or perhaps he needs to assure her that his intentions aren't perverted as she might think.

 

"I'm ready." Edith blurted.

 

Hanzo turned around, his face warming up at the sight of his beloved. He couldn't help but feel warm and fuzzy inside his chest. Not the lustful thoughts he had prior, but something entirely different. She looked so adorable in those clothes. Hanzo had never felt this way before. Why was he feeling like this now? He could tell he was blushing. His cheeks were burning, along with his heart.

 

"Darling, aren't you going to wear anything?"

 

"I don't need to."

 

"But your clothes might get ruined."

 

She had a point. Perhaps he had something for himself to wear. Hanzo searched in the wardrobe. All he had was a black cloak. This might do, he thought to himself. Hanzo put it on over the rest of his clothes. Edith then pulled her husband's wrist, leading him back to the door. Her excitement reminded him of the past when he too was a young child. And it also reminded him of...

No, he cannot let those memories come back! He cannot remember now!

Once they reached the door, Edith flung it open. Hanzo watched as she dashed out of the mansion and into the snow. She ran around, stomping her feet into the snow and falling onto the ground. She began rolling around in the snow, getting herself and the clothes she wore covered with it. Hanzo chuckled to himself. She was like a child playing in the snow for the first time. His smile faded as he looked down at the stairs. Slowly, he took one step out. Then another. And then another. Once he reached the outside, he looked up to see that the sun was blocked by the grey clouds above them. Were vampires only able to come out during the winter? None had come to visit him. Then again, he knew nobody else besides Edith.

And if there were other vampires, they would be crossing his territory. Suddenly, Hanzo felt something hit him. Quickly, he turned around to find out he was hit with snow. He found Edith giggling. She was the culprit.

 

"Why did you attack me?" The man demanded.

 

"I didn't attack you. I threw a snowball at you."

 

Edith noticed her husband's glare, the same one he used the first few months of their marriage. Fearing for her life, Edith explained to him,

 

"I-I didn't mean to hurt you. It was simply out of fun. Children throw snowballs at each other all the time."

 

"We are not children." Hanzo told her.

 

As he was about to head inside, Edith threw another snowball at him. Furiously, Hanzo grabbed a chunk of snow, attempting to form it into a ball. He kept failing miserable. Edith approached him and said,

 

"You keep forcing your palms together and crushing the snow. You do it like this," Edith took some snow, cupping them and forming it into a ball. Hanzo repeated the same steps she did, making a half decent snowball. The girl smiled at him and said,

 

"See! You made a snowball!"

 

Hanzo formed a mischievous grin. He threw the snowball into the girl's face, knocking her off of her feet. Hanzo's eyes widened after realizing that his wife was not getting up. He thought he killed her, then he heard weeping. Quickly, the man knelt down to check if she was alright.

 

"Edith? Oh, I am so sorry! I-I didn't mean to hit you that hard. Are you alright? Edith?"

 

He too nearly fell when Edith bolted up, cheering happily with some of the snow melting off her face.

 

"I'm okay! My nose hurts, but I'm okay!"

 

"God, you scared me."

 

"I did?" Edith exaggerated her gasp. "I scared you!?"

 

"You didn't know vampires had feelings?"

 

"I did, silly."

 

Edith then got up from the ground. She began to form another snowball, only to be attacked by her husband. Edith threw the one she had made at him. Soon they began a snowball fight, throwing them at one another. The couple found themselves having so much fun, they forgot that they were freezing. All of their worries and fears faded away. Hanzo did his best not to throw the snowballs to hard at his wife, while she gave it her all. Both teased one another, claiming that they would get them. They hid behind the trees, and then they would come out of their hiding spot and fire. Edith missed a few times as Hanzo was quick to react. She wanted to yell at him for cheating, but she let it slide.

Hanzo felt a little guilty for using his powers against his wife. He wanted it to be a fair game. Edith didn't seem to be upset with him as she ended up laughing it off and continuing throwing the snowballs at him. While the couple had their fun, Edith suggested they make some snow angels.

 

"How do you make snow angels?" The vampire asked.

 

"Well, you lie down on the ground and move your arms up and down and your legs side to side." Edith explained.

 

"That sounds childish."

 

"You said that about snowball fights."

 

She had a point there. Edith showed the vampire how to make a snow angel. Once she had finished, she showed Hanzo her master piece. The vampire thought the idea of it was silly. But perhaps he could give it a try. He lied down slowly, repeating the steps that his wife had taught him. He felt foolish for doing such a thing. Once he got up, he turned around to see what his snow angel looked like.

Could he even call it a snow angel? It looked nothing like one. Unlike Edith's, his snow angel didn't have a skirt and there were hand prints on his. Edith let out a giggle.

 

"Well, at least you tried."

 

"I'm never doing that again." The vampire muttered.

 

"Do you wanna make a snowman then?"

 

"A what?"

 

"A snowman!"

 

Hanzo raised one eyebrow up in confusion. Edith guessed that he had never built a snowman before or didn't know what it was.

 

"You make him out of snow. He looks kind of like a person, but not really. You just get a bunch of snow into a ball and build them up together to make the body and the head. You also use sticks for the arms, rocks or coal for buttons, the face, and a carrot for his nose!"

 

"Well I don't have any carrots for the nose, nor do I have any coal or rocks to make the face or give it buttons."

 

"We got sticks from the trees." Edith stated, pointing at the trees. "And as for the face, we can just poke the snow and draw it."

 

Hanzo nodded his head. The girl began rolling some snow up into a large ball. Hanzo watched her as she struggled to keep it from crumbling down. The vampire decided to help his wife. They finished the first part of the snowman, then they began making the torso. While Hanzo made the torso, Edith went to the trees and pulled some of the branches down.

After placing the medium shaped snowball onto the larger one, Edith placed the arms to the sides.

 

"He's almost done!" Edith exclaimed. "All we need to do is make his head, then his face."

 

"Do you want to make the head?"

 

"Sure!"

 

"I'll go inside to see if we have anything to make the face."

 

Right as Edith was about to make the other snowball for the snowman's head, an arrow came flying at her, nearly an inch away from her head. Hanzo dodged the arrow by moving his head to the side. Edith took a step back, her eyes wide in horror. Hanzo wasn't sure why his wife was staring him like that, until he pressed his hand on his cheek.  
Blood.

He turned around to find three men dressed in winter clothing with arrows and swords standing before them. Edith rushed to her husband's side, holding his arm tightly as the men just stared at them. She thought they were regular hunters, however they were not just any kind of hunter.

They were vampire hunters.

 

"You've got some nerve to be out here in the daylight, demon." One of the men blurted.

 

Edith could tell they were not friendly. They gave off a dangerous aura, just like her husband. Except these men had different intentions. Edith looked at her husband, who was now in full protective mode. He was aware that these men wanted him, not her. They could possibly change their minds, though. Hanzo was also aware of how scared his wife was. He slipped his arm out of her grasp, taking a step towards the hunters.

 

"You have no right to be in my territory." He exclaimed.

 

"Actually this is our territory." One of the other men said. "You're the one trespassing here."

 

"I don't see your names carved anywhere." The vampire motioned his arm around the area.

 

"They will be once we have your head, demon. And the girl."

 

Edith let out a gasp. Quickly, Hanzo raised his arm up at her.

 

"The girl is human." He exclaimed. "You will leave her alone. If it is me you want, then fine. You leave her out of this."

 

"We have to make sure that you didn't bite her and turned her."

 

They think she's a vampire? First everyone thought she was a witch, and now they think she's a vampire? Did she look like one? Edith wanted to exclaim to them that she was indeed human, but feared that they would accuse her of also being a witch. Suddenly, her husband yelled,

 

"She is human! I have not turned her nor will I ever. Now, if you want to kill me, then fine. But leave the girl out of this!"

 

It was obvious that the hunters weren't going to listen to him. Hanzo turned his head to see if his wife was still there.

 

"Edith," he murmured. "I want you to go back into the mansion."

 

"What?"

 

"I want you to go back into the mansion. Whatever you do, do not come outside unless I return. If they end up in our mansion, I want you to-"

 

"Hanzo, I'm not leaving you." Edith interrupted. "I'm not going to let them kill you."

 

"Edith, now is not the time to argue!"

 

"I'm not going to lose anyone else close to me!"

 

The vampire was moved by her words, but at the same time he was upset that she wasn't going to listen to him. He knew deep down if he let the hunters kill him, Edith would be all alone again. He didn't want her to be alone, but he also didn't want them to hurt her, either. Hanzo wanted to grab her and shove her into the mansion, however he didn't even have the courage to tell her to flee. She knew if she stayed, she would get killed. Was that what she wanted? Hanzo turned to the hunters when one warned,

 

"You might as well run away now, little girl. Unless you really want us to kill you."

 

"I told you to leave her out of this!"

 

"Shut it, demon!" The leader shouted. "You have no right to speak!"

 

"He's not a demon!" Edith stood in front of her husband.

 

"He's a monster!"

 

"No, he's not! The real monsters are the humans!"

 

"Do you not understand how many of his kind have killed our kind?! Do you not know how many of those blood thirsty bastards have taken innocent lives!? They show no mercy! They don't care who they kill! They don't give a single damn! You want to know why they don't give a damn? Because they are heartless, mindless creatures!"

 

Edith clutched her fists. She glared at the men, her feet planted deep in the snow. She never felt this much confidence and bravery in her entire life. She looked at them in the eyes as she said to them,

 

"You're wrong. My husband is not heartless or mindless. Humans on the other hand show no mercy! They are the evil monsters! You may think that he is an evil monster, but he's not! In fact, humans think everything that they don't understand is evil! Humans kill because they hate and fear! They don't care who's innocent or who gets hurt! None of them care! In fact, none of you care! Not a single one of you cares who you kill! No one!"

 

The hunters just stared at her, unmoved by her words. Then, the leader pulled out his bow, aiming his arrow right at the couple. Edith's courage faded once she realized where he was aiming. Hanzo realized as well. Before he could charge at them, Hanzo felt a sharp pain in his knee. He nearly collapsed on the ground. Edith rushed to his side, calling his name. He looked down to see blood trickling down on the snow. He had been hit with an arrow. A god damn arrow. How could he have missed that? Another sharp pain hit him, this time in the arm. And his good one.

 

"Get the girl!" The leader commanded. "Make sure she's not one of them!"

 

One of the bulky hunters dashed towards Edith. The girl's reaction was too late as he yanked her away from her husband. Edith screamed, "Let me go!" flailing and kicking her legs up in the air. The hunter tore at her shawl, trying to see her collar bone. She could feel him gripping tightly onto her hips. He tore a part of her shawl off, exposing her chest to the cold.

Edith attempted to cover herself, only for the man to put them behind her back as he looked at her collar bone. She could smell the stench of his breath, much to her discomfort. She wanted to kick him in the foot. She wanted to kick him right where it hurts and run away. It would be pointless as there would be two more to come after her. They would probably shoot her with an arrow too. Hanzo wouldn't be able to save her as he was injured. Edith wanted to scream at her husband to get up. She wanted to beg for him to come and save her from this hell.

 

"She isn't bit!" The bulky hunter yelled.

 

"Check for any other marks then! Strip all of her clothes off if you have to!"

 

The sound of his wife's screams echoed in the vampire's ear. When he got up, he got shot again, this time in the chest. The hunters missed his heart. When Hanzo turned around, he found the bulky hunter pinning his wife into the ground, her face deep in the snow. His heart nearly stopped as the hunter attempted to rip off her skirt. Everything around him went silent. He could no longer hear screaming. He could no longer feel the cold nor the pain.

All he could see was red.

All he could feel was rage and hatred.

Edith could feel her skin being exposed to the cold. It burned and she was certain that she was going to go numb if she stayed out here any longer. She prayed that it would just end right now. She prayed that the hunters would just go away and leave her and her husband alone. The hunter gripped tightly at her thighs, forcing them open and once again trying to tear at her clothes. Edith begged the man to stop. She begged over and over for them all to stop.

 

"Once we're finished with your husband, your next, girl!" The bulky man hissed.

 

"I-I'm not a vampire...!"

 

"I know you aren't. You think humans are the true monsters? Then let us prove it."

 

In a blink of an eye, the man was pulled off of Edith's body. She scrambled up to her feet as she watched her husband choke the very life out of the man. He struggled beneath him while the other hunters stood in horror. Hanzo tore at the man's neck, patches of skin falling onto the snow and his blood oozing out from his throat. The hunter coughed it all up, choking from his blood. Hanzo took the man's head, gripping it tightly as he ripped it off from his very body. Edith was stuck in place, her eyes widen in horror at the brutal sight before her. The hunter's blood spilled out like a stream of chunky water. Edith couldn't believe how Hanzo was able to tear it right off like a piece of bread. No, not a piece of bread. A piece of meat.

He tossed the head aside, turning his attention to the other two hunters. Out of fear, they began firing their arrows at him. Hanzo dashed around the woods, circling his prey to confuse them. They kept firing at him in hopes that it would pierce him. Edith couldn't keep up with him. He would be gone within a blink of an eye. She could see blur of his figure as he swiftly moved around the hunters. Right as they thought they hit him, they noticed that it was only but a tree. Hanzo had torn his cloak off as a distraction. Then, he grabbed the shorter hunter from behind, his arms wrapped around his neck tightly. The hunter screamed, "Get him off!" over and over. The leader attempted to shoot, but feared of hitting his fellow comrade. With no hesitation, Hanzo sunk his teeth into the man's neck.

Edith watched as the life in his eyes faded. His skin turned deadly pale, his skin sunken in to reveal the skeletal frame of his face. What was more horrible was when his eyes rolled back into his skull. His entire body went lip once all of the blood had been drained from him. Hanzo tossed his body aside, facing the leader. The vampire took his sweet time to show the man that his end was near. He took very slow steps as he allowed the hunter to pull out his sword. Edith couldn't believe how terrifying her husband truly was. She couldn't believe that he was devoid of any mercy or any emotion. There was no sign of the Hanzo she had once known in his eyes. They were entirely crimson red.

He was completely gone, consumed with rage.

The hunter swung his sword at the vampire repeatedly. Hanzo dodged each time. Then, he grabbed the hunter's sword, gripping tightly onto the blade, piercing his skin. He yanked it from the hunter's grasps, tossing it aside. He then charged at him, griping tightly onto his shoulder. Unlike with the other two, he didn't kill him immediately. He decided to toy with his prey for awhile. Perhaps he should let him know the pain and agony his kind had shown his wife. He slashed at the man's face. Blood trickled down onto the snow, giving it a red hue. Hanzo repeatedly slashed at his face and chest, chunks of flesh flying into the air and onto the ground. He then took one of the hunter's arms, twisting it and tearing it off from his body. The hunter screamed in agony as his blood spilled out. Hanzo decided to mock the man with his own arm, slapping him over and over with a wicked grin on his face. Once the arm was completely mutilated, the vampire threw it aside.

Both Edith and the vampire was amazed by how the hunter was still standing, even though he was mutilated beyond recognition at this point. Hanzo was getting bored of him. He wanted this to be over with, yet at the same time he wanted to keep on going. The thrill of watching the life fade from their eyes, the screams of agony, the taste of their blood. Oh, how he had forgotten the fun. Finally, Hanzo jabbed his hand right into the hunter's chest. He yanked out the man's still beating heart, showing it right in front of the hunter. He listened as he attempted to keep breathing.

 

"Do you see this?" Hanzo questioned, crushing the heart as it oozed from his fingers. "This is what your wretched species have caused my wife to feel. Now you know what she feels. Don't you?"

 

The hunter let out his last breath as his body collapsed into the snow. His crimson blood blended with the white snow beneath him. Hanzo just stared at the body, feeling proud for the deaths he had caused. He hadn't felt this way in so long. When he looked up, his grin faded away. The anger he had felt faded as well. Edith stared at her husband with fear. She held herself tightly, covering herself in attempt to warm herself from the cold. Slowly, Hanzo looked down at his hands, which were covered in blood. Then, he looked at the corpses of the hunters. When he turned his attention back at his wife, he realized what he had done.

As he took a single step towards her, she took one back. His heart shattered at that moment. He realized what he had done.

There were tears dripping down the girl's face. Edith shook her head in denial at what she had witnessed. She ran back into the mansion, sobbing uncontrollably. Her sobs faded away once she had made it back inside. Hanzo remained still as the cold breeze hit against his skin. He couldn't believe himself. He promised that he would no longer be a savage murderer. He promised he wouldn't become the demon he had once been after he married his wife. Edith had changed him from that monster into something better. He thought he had changed into a better man. He was wrong. He could never change into a better person. Hanzo wanted to blame the hunters for causing his rage. He wanted to blame them, but he knew that it was his actions that caused him to slaughter them.

Memories began flooding back into his mind. Waves of emotions crashed down onto him as he collapsed onto his knees. He found himself speaking words that he had never thought he would say,

 

"I'm sorry..."


	6. Chapter 6

Hanzo tossed the corpses into the cellar. He had no use for them, nor did he want to drink their filthy blood. He went back outside, cleaning up the mess he had made as best as he could. The blood kept mixing into the snow, which made it impossible to hide. Perhaps anybody who passes by will assume it to be animal blood and not human blood.  The vampire went back into the mansion. He didn't go searching for Edith. He couldn't face her after what he had done. She probably didn't want to face him either. He couldn't blame her. As Hanzo walked down the corridors, he began to realize how gloomy his mansion truly was. Was this what Edith had felt during the first months of their marriage?

He should probably change it up a little bit to make it feel more welcoming. Especially for any future children of his. Immediately, the vampire stopped in his tracks. Was he seriously thinking about having children of his own? Nonsense! After what happened today, Edith wouldn't want to have his children. It was too soon to even be thinking about such things as well. As Hanzo looked up at the paintings, he realized how disturbing they actually were.  Why the hell did he have things damn things hanging around in the first place? He should have gotten rid of them after he was given this mansion. As a young boy, Hanzo never found them disturbing. He found them interesting. Hanzo took the paintings, carrying them down the hallways to the library. He didn't have anymore purpose for them anymore. Hanzo stopped in his tracks when he spotted his wife sitting near the fireplace.

She was trembling furiously with a blanket wrapped around her entire body. Sorrow filled the vampire's heart once more. As quietly as he could, he placed the painting down against one of the book shelves. He couldn't bring himself to talk to her, let alone comfort her. What good would it do? When night fell, Hanzo felt completely worn out. He wanted to sleep, but he couldn't bring himself to.  Edith was already asleep in their bedroom. Hanzo wanted to go in there and sleep with her, but instead he decided to sleep in the library. Once he sat down in his chair, he couldn't fall asleep. Guilt and sorrow prevented him from allowing to rest. It lingered in his heart, pressuring him to burst into tears once more. He couldn't even bring himself to cry anymore. His cold heart felt empty, yet at the same time it ached with agony. All he could do was stare at fire place as the wood turned into ashes.

 

Two weeks had passed since the incident. Neither Edith nor Hanzo spoke to one another. This time both were avoiding one another. Edith felt too afraid to go near her husband, let alone talk to him. She did her best to avoid him at all costs. Hanzo wanted to speak to his wife, but he couldn't allow himself to do so. He felt ashamed to even ask her for his forgiveness. He knew that this wasn't healthy. Their relationship had gone so well. Everything was going so well. The first months of their marriage they had avoided each other, but it was Edith who avoided him. She was afraid of him, but now this time they were both afraid. They feared of what one would say to the other. Both were afraid that one partner would say something cruel.

They didn't hate each other. They still loved one another. Edith still loved her husband with all her heart, but she was afraid of him. Knowing that he could possibly kill her with no mercy, she feared him once more. She remembered the times when they bonded and she saw her husband smile. She remembered when they got to snuggle up together and read books together. She was thankful that Hanzo taught her things she didn't know. And he was thankful, too.  He was glad that she had made him become a better person than he was in the past. She made him feel human, again. She was the light of his darkness. The innocence that reminded him of the good in humanity. Hanzo didn't want to lose her. He had to stop avoiding her and his emotions. He can't stop being the vampire that secludes himself from everyone and everything.

Hanzo went to search for his wife. The one place he checked first was their bedroom. She wasn't there. She must be in the library. After walking down the corridors, the vampire found Edith in the library. She was sitting by the fireplace with another blanket wrapped around her. Hesitantly, the vampire approached his wife. Edith flinched when he murmured,

 

"Edith?"

 

She didn't respond. She remained silent, staring at the wood engulfed by the flames. Hanzo didn't even ask if he could sit by her. He crossed his legs, watching the fire turn the wood into ashes. Neither of them spoke. Edith felt too afraid to even say anything. Hanzo let out a sigh. 

 

"Edith...I'm sorry for what I did."

 

The girl didn't respond. She didn't even turn to look at him. Hanzo continued,

 

"I am truly sorry for what I did. I understand if you cannot forgive me. I'm not asking you to. I...I just want to let you know that I am not angry with you. I love you very much. I really do."

 

Again, she didn't react. She did hear what he said to her. The vampire added,

 

"If you want to leave, you can. After seeing what I had done, I understand that you wouldn't want to be near a monster such as myself. I won't hate you for it."

 

Right as Hanzo was about to get up, Edith blurted, 

 

"I don't want to leave."

 

The room was silent again. Edith buried part of her face into her blanket. She clutched tightly onto her blanket as the tears began dripping down her face. She wanted to curse at herself for crying and being so emotional. 

 

"I...I don't hate you, Hanzo. I...I love you...I love you so much, but you scare me. You scare me so much that I-I...I think you might hurt me one day."

 

"Edith..." Hanzo wanted to reach out and rest his hand and rest it onto her shoulder. Instead, he just listened as his wife explained,

 

"When I saw you killing those hunters, the look on your face scared me. It's...it's hard to describe it without sounding stupid."

 

"Then describe for me so I can understand."

 

The girl hesitated. She knew what words to use. She knew how to describe it, but if it came out her mouth, it would sound silly. Edith took a deep breath, describing to her husband,

 

"When I looked at you...you looked like you were completely gone. All I saw was hatred and rage. You didn't even look like the man I once knew..."

 

Was that what she saw when he slaughtered those hunters? Hanzo remembered killing them. He remembered every single second of that moment. At the same time, he felt like he wasn't even there. It was almost as if something possessed him. Even in the past, Hanzo remembered the times where he slaughtered innocent lives before. But in those moments, he was in control.  He knew what he was doing then. Over time, he became secluded from the world. He hadn't gone rogue since then. When the humans from before came into his mansion, he was still in control. Perhaps there are moments in his rage he is unable to control himself. The idea of bringing harm to his wife nearly brought him to tears.

Hanzo thought he was able to control himself of his urges. Perhaps he wasn't. Then again, he remembered when Edith first arrived, he didn't think about killing her. He could smell her blood, however he had no intentions on killing her or drinking her blood. He had other things on his mind. But after getting to know his wife, he no longer felt hatred or loneliness.  She gave him the happiness he had yearned to feel. Sometimes the thought of losing control and causing his wife harm did cross his mind every now and then. He feared of the possibility of losing control. Hanzo took his wife's hands, causing her to jump. Edith turned her head, looking into her husband's crimson eyes. He had the same kind expression from before.

 

"My beloved, I would never bring harm to you. I promised you that, remember?"

 

Edith nodded her head. She remembered that day. She bumped into him and thought he was going to kill her for doing so. She ended up breaking down into tears and he comforted her, just as he was now.

 

"I love you more than anything, my beloved. I don't want you to be afraid of me."

 

"I-it's hard not being afraid of you when you look like you're going to kill me."

 

A chuckle escaped the vampire's lips. "I guess I need to soften up a little more, don't I?"

 

"Well, you're trying your best." Edith admitted.

 

Hanzo grinned. He found himself gazing into her eyes. They were a beautiful shade of blue. Slowly, he leaned in to give her a kiss. Edith didn't hesitate as she felt his lips press down against hers. When Hanzo pulled away, Edith wanted to pull him back in an embrace. She began to feel a familiar fuzziness in her heart again. 

The couple stared into one another's eyes. After a few seconds, Edith commented,

 

"My birthday passed a few days ago."

 

"It did?"

 

It was a random comment, and yet Hanzo felt terrible for missing it. He wished he got her something, then he remembered the black cat. He hadn't seen it since they went to the village.

 

"What ever happened to the cat we got you?"

 

"She's over there." Edith pointed in the corner. The black cat was curled up in a ball fast asleep.

 

"Did you ever give her a name?"

 

"Yeah. It's Cinder."

 

"Cinder?" Hanzo repeated. 

 

"I couldn't think of anything, so I named her Cinder."

 

It was a cute name. She must have named her that after staring at the fire for a long time. Hanzo then looked at his wife, asking her,

 

"How old are you now?"

 

"Nineteen."

 

She was nineteen? Hanzo had a suspicion that she was quite young. Thankfully she wasn't too young for him. Now knowing her age made him feel self conscious about his own age. Yes he stopped aging, however he was still in the body of the age he turned into a vampire.

 

"How old are you?" Edith questioned.

 

Hanzo looked at her with wide eyes. Edith stuttered as she apologized,

 

"Y-you don't have to tell me if you don't want to...I-I was just...I just wondered because...I-I'm sorry..."

 

"It's alright, my dear." She really has to stop apologizing. Sometimes it got on Hanzo's nerves, but he understood why she did so. "About my age...vampires stop aging, so I'm not sure you want to know the exact number."

 

"Tell me. Please?" Edith begged. "I won't make fun of you. I promise."

 

She really wanted to know? It wouldn't be fair if she didn't know his age. He knew hers, so he should make it even between them.

 

"I'm...I'm thirty eight."

 

Thirty eight? Edith tilted her head to the side as she stared at her husband with a puzzled look. Hanzo felt his face burning up in embarrassment. He was technically older than that now, but he was still physically that age. Edith smiled as she spoke,

 

"I thought you were twenty eight. But you look fine just the way you are."

 

"You...don't think I'm old?"

 

"No."

 

Hanzo let out a soft gasp as he felt the girl press her hands against his cheeks. She began running her fingers through his sideburns, much to his confusion. Hanzo did enjoy it as she brushed her fingers through his hair.

 

"You're handsome to me no matter what. Even if you're a million years old."

 

The vampire let out a chuckle. Her words flattered him. He wished that he could hear her compliment him over and over. Her sweet, innocent voice made him blush every time she spoke. Did she feel the same whenever he spoke in a sultry tone?

 

"You know what you and Cinder have in common?" Edith asked, gaining her husband's attention.

 

"What is that, my dear?"

 

"You both have whiskers!" Edith smiled, brushing her husband's sideburns.

 

Hanzo glanced at the cat who was resting on the blankets, then back at his wife. Did she really remind him of a cat? Hanzo wasn't sure if he should feel offended or flattered.

 

"You also act like a cat. You're sleepy and act grumpy, too!" 

 

Edith smiled innocently at her husband, pressing a kiss on his cheek. Hanzo couldn't believe his wife thought he was like a cat. He thought that he was more like a bat. They slept in the day and were awake at night. They also liked sleeping in the dark and were usually secluded. Perhaps he was like a cat. Cats liked sleeping in the day and are awake at night. They also like to be alone.

He wondered what kind of animal his wife would be.

The girl lifted herself up, helping her husband up from his feet. She held his hands, staring at him with the same innocent smiling. Had she forgiven him already? Did he truly deserve her forgiveness?

 

"Darling..." He began with a soft voice. "Do you...forgive me for-"

 

"Hanzo, I know you were trying to protect me. It's not right to kill people...however you did it in self defense. I'm thankful that you saved me"

 

The vampire felt the corner of his lips forming into a smile. He was about to lean in to give her another kiss, only for her to embrace him with a tight hug. Hanzo chuckled, wrapping his arms around her. 

 

"I love you." He whispered.

 

"I love you too."

 

Edith pulled herself away and looked up at her husband. "I'm going to go to bed."

 

"Alright."

 

They said nothing else and parted ways. Edith walked down the dark corridors to their bedroom. Her body was telling her to go to sleep, but her mind was telling her to stay up a little longer. She decided to walk around for a little bit until she could no longer carry herself. Edith noticed that Hanzo removed most of the paintings from the walls.  He must have done it while they were avoiding one another. As she strolled around the corridor, she found herself in an unfamiliar place. She had been in the mansion for months and she didn't remember this part of the mansion. Curiosity forced her to keep venturing onward. She was starting to think this might lead her to her husband's food storage. Edith caught a glimpse of a door that lead to another room.

Something in the back of her mind screamed at her to turn back. It warned her that she would find something and be scarred for the rest of her life. Another part of her mind told her she had been scarred already, so what else could traumatize her? Edith approached the door. As she placed her hand on the handle, she retracted it from how cold it was. Of course she ignored her gut feeling and decided to open it.  A gust of cold wind passed through her, giving her chills. It was another room, one she didn't recognize. Edith entered it with caution, fearing that someone or something could possibly be lurking in there. Edith looked around to see if there was anything she could use as a light source. To her surprise, there was a window. She slowly opened the curtains to reveal the outside. The sun was setting in the distance.

It was being blocked off by the trees. Edith left the curtains open to see what was inside the room. There was a bed that had not been touched. A dresser placed on the opposite side of the wall. Edith then noticed that there were swords hanging from the wall. They didn't appear to be the kind of swords that she saw hunters and knights carry around. When Edith approached the dresser, she noticed a painting of two dragons placed on it.  One dragon was blue and the other was green. Edith wondered if her husband was the one who made it, or if he got it from someone else. She looked up and noticed near the bed was a box. She went toward it, wondering what was inside. Corpses? More pictures? Slowly, Edith lifted the lid to reveal not limbs of corpses or any other paintings, but toys.

Stuffed animals and wooden toys. The stuffed animals were dragons. Edith noticed that the wooden toys were dressed in different attire. They didn't appear to be the kind of outfit that would be worn around this area. Were these Hanzo's old toys? He said that vampires didn't age, so who did these belong to? Her mind raced with questions and possibilities. Did Hanzo have a family before he married her? Was he married to someone else?  He never mentioned anything about his family. As Edith closed the lid, she decided that it was time to leave. If her husband caught her here, who knows how furious he would be with her. She might end up breaking his trust. Edith was about to make her leave, only to catch a glimpse of a family portrait hanging from across the bed. How did she not notice it from before? Slowly, she approached it with caution. In the painting were four people. A mother, a father, and two children.

The father in the painting appeared to be Hanzo. Was this him with his family? His face was similar to her husband's, however he did not have the whisker sideburns. He also had a longer beard than her husband. Edith looked at the woman. Her face was kind and gentle. She also had a hint of sorrow in her eyes. She noticed how in the painting the husband was holding tightly onto his wife's hands while his other hand was placed on one of the boys.  Edith studied the young children in the painting. The boy on the left had a smile on his face. He must have been the younger brother as he appeared to be young. Edith was unsure how old he was. He had dark spiky hair and wore a green and white robe. He also had one of the stuffed dragons she saw in his arms. Edith then looked at the boy on the right of the painting. He was not smiling. He was standing up straight, both his arms behind his back as he had a blank expression on his face.

He had long hair like the man in the painting, but his was tied back like the woman in the painting. Edith wondered if these two boys in the painting were Hanzo's children. Was the woman his wife? Edith took one more look at them. After analyzing it, she realized that the man was not Hanzo. He appeared to be much older than him. She then looked at the boys, noticing their facial features. The older boy in the painting had the same face as her husband, but much younger.

Except his eyes were not red. They were brown.

Was this boy...Hanzo?

There was no way! Hanzo said vampires don't age. How could this be him? Did vampires stop aging when they reach a certain age? The people in the painting had traditional clothing from an era that was from a long time ago, yet the painting appeared as if it was from the present. Edith wanted to ask her husband about the people in the painting, but feared of the possibility of being scolded by him.  What would his reaction be if he found this room? Would he be furious with her? Does he even want her to know about this room? More questions flooded her mind, overwhelming her to the point she felt like she was going to cry. Why did Hanzo keep this all a secret from her? Did he feel like he couldn't trust her? Did he not want her to know of his past? Why would he not want her to know anything about his past? Edith revealed her past to him. Her parents' deaths, her sister's death.

She revealed everything to him, and he didn't tell her a single thing! Edith felt betrayed. Did her own husband not trust her? Maybe he didn't want her to know because he didn't want to remember. Edith started feeling more guilty for assuming what her husband would feel. She felt horrible for prying into his personal life. She might as well leave before he catches her.

 

"Edith?"

 

Edith's heart almost stopped. Slowly, she turned around to find him standing at the doorway. Edith could only stutter as she attempted to give him an apology. Hanzo yanked his wife's wrist, pulling her out of the room and dragging her down the dark hallways. Once they were far away from the room, Hanzo pinned his wife against the wall.

 

"Why were you in there?" He demanded, his red eyes burning with fury.

 

"I-I was..."

 

"Why were you in there!? What were you doing!?"

 

"N-nothing! I-I was just looking around!" Edith stuttered. "I swear, I didn't do anything!

 

The vampire gripped his fists tightly, his nails digging into the wall as he hissed,

 

"Never, ever go back in there! Do you hear me?"

 

"Yes!" Edith cried. "I-I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I-I didn't mean to...!"

 

Seeing her tears caused the vampire to soften up. He lowered his arms to the side, pulling himself away from the girl. Edith looked up, her vision blurred by the tears. She rubbed her eyes as she asked her husband,

 

"W-why did you not tell me about your family...?"

 

"What?"

 

"Y-you rarely talked about them..." the girl sniffled. "You told me where you were from and said you had a family...b-but you never talked about them. I told you about my family...I even revealed to you the most personal things about them...and yet you don't even acknowledge they exist..."

 

When she wiped away her tears, she looked up at her husband. His eyebrows were furrowed with anger, yet the look in his eyes showed that he felt regret for his actions. Edith's voice trembled as she asked him the riskiest question. One that could end up getting her killed.

 

"Wh-why...why don't you ever talk about your family?"

 

There was no response. Edith had a feeling that she messed up. She waited for Hanzo to slap her across the face and to never ask her such a stupid question ever again. She thought he would just ignore her and disappear back into the darkness. However, he said nothing. Edith watched him as he turned his head away from her. In the corner of his eyes, she could see tears forming.

 

"I..." He murmured, his voice shaking to hide the sorrow. "I've been a terrible husband, haven't I?"

 

Edith shook her head "no."

 

"We both knew that I had been keeping secrets from you. It's just...I couldn't trust myself to allow someone else to see me in my weakest state. And yet I have seen you so many times in your weakest state. I have seen you cry so many times. You have revealed to me so many of your secrets, your most personal memories, and I haven't even told you a single thing about myself."

 

"Hanzo, you don't have to-"

 

The vampire shushed her, pressing his finger on her lips. He turned his head back to face her.

 

"I never told you about my family because...I too have lost them." 

 

Edith's eyes widened. He had lost his family, too? Did a bunch of people discover that they were vampires and kill them? Were they all killed when Hanzo was very young? Was that why Hanzo hated humans so much? Her questions were completely wrong as her husband revealed,

 

"All vampires were humans at some point in their lives...I was once a human being just like you. A mortal man with a mortal family. But none of them were killed...except for one person...my brother."

 

The vampire could no longer hold his tears back. He didn't break down into tears like Edith had. He gripped onto his wife's shoulders, as he whimpered,

 

"He was killed...he was slaughtered with cold blood!"

 

"Who-" Edith gulped, hesitant to finish her question. "Who killed him?"

 

Hanzo couldn't look at his wife in the eyes. He lowered his head, the tears dripping down on the stone floors. Edith wasn't sure what to do. She wanted to comfort her husband. She wanted to wrap her arms around him and tell him everything was alright, however she remained frozen with confusion and fear. The girl heard her husband inhale, speaking with a soft voice.

 

"I...I killed him."

 

"Wh-what...?"

 

Edith flinched as her husband blurted with agony,

 

"I killed him! I was the one who killed him! I killed my own brother!"


	7. Chapter 7

Edith stared at the vampire. Her eyes wide in shock after hearing his confession.

 

"Y-you what...?"

 

Hanzo lifted his head up, his eyes glued onto his wife's soft and innocent eyes.

 

"I...I killed my own brother. I killed him..."

 

Edith couldn't respond. All she could do was just watch as her husband shed tears. She wanted to ask him why he did it. She wanted to know, however it felt insensitive to ask such a question. Hanzo pulled himself away, his back facing her. He didn't want her to see him in such a pitiful state. Although he had seen her when ever she cried, he felt like a pathetic fool crying in front of her. The vampire calmed himself, trying to regain his composure.

 

"I guess it would be unfair of me to keep all of my secrets from you while I had you reveal everything about yourself to me."

 

"Hanzo, you don't have to-"

 

"Shush."

 

The girl watched her husband, waiting for him to make his next move. He turned his head to the side, his eyes avoiding contact with hers.

 

"A long time ago, before you or your parents were even born, I lived in a small village known as Hanamura."

 

The vampire lifted his head up, a smile forming as he recollected the memories of his childhood.

 

"It was peaceful there. I lived in a palace with my family and my clan. It was just me, my mother, and my father. He was the head of our clan. I couldn't remember much then, but I remembered how cold and distant he was towards me. The only person who ever showed me affection was my dear mother. Then one day, my brother was born."

 

The smile on Hanzo's face disappeared. "Back then, I felt envious. I didn't want another sibling. I was happy with no brother or sister. I was happy with my mother and father. As we grew older, I began to tolerate my younger brother and we became close. He was my only friend. The only person who I loved dearly, and yet I hated him as well."

 

"Why...did you...hate him?" Edith questioned as her voice trembled with fear.

 

Hanzo sighed. "I hated him because of all the attention he got. Everyone adored him. He was basically the "perfect" son. I was seen as a disappointment. Even my own father saw me as a disappointment. Over time, I grew distant from my brother. He got to do whatever he pleased. My father didn't care, my mother didn't care. Nobody cared. Nobody gave a single damn what he did, and yet they cared what I did. I was forced to train with my father to become the next heir of my clan. I didn't want to, of course. I wanted to be free spirited. I wanted to be just like my younger brother, doing whatever the hell he pleased. Of course, I never told my father this. I never spoke against him or said what I felt. I didn't want to disappoint him any more than I already had."

 

The vampire continued, "As years went by, my father showed more love to my brother than to me. My mother loved the both of us. She was the only thing that kept me going...She was the only person who still loved me through and through...and then one day she died of an illness. Both my brother and I were heart broken, and yet my father acted as if she hadn't died. He didn't show any sorrow that his wife died...He didn't even care!"

 

Edith jumped as Hanzo threw a punch at the wall, leaving cracks in it. She could see the sorrow and fury in his eyes. He breathed heavily, feeling the hatred boiling inside him. After calming down, he pulled his hand out of the hole he created, placing his hand back to his side.

 

"Ever since that day, I could no longer respect my father. I stopped trying to impress him. I stopped even caring about what my future was going to be. But he kept pushing me and insisting I continue the Shimada bloodline. He wanted me to be the son he always wanted me to be. I couldn't take it anymore. I couldn't take the pressure he put onto me and I snapped at him, calling him a "heartless bastard." It was stupid of me to snap at him like that as I was young. My father slapped me across, telling me how I was a disappointment and wished I was more like my brother. We never spoke again that day. The last time we spoke to one another was the day he died..."

 

The vampire paused. Edith waited silently for him to finish. She didn't want to pressure him to keep on going if he did not wish to. As she was about to place her hand on his arm, Hanzo finished,

 

"His last words were; "Please forgive me, my son." I wanted to believe he was truly sorry for what he had done to me...I really wanted to, however I just...I couldn't forgive him. I could never forgive him. After his death, I became the heir of my clan. I became a cold, heartless man like him. I never wanted to become like him, and yet I ended up like him. I grew even more distant from my brother. We were strangers to one another. We got into many arguments over the clan and his actions. The elders told me to keep him in check, which was nearly impossible. The elders would threaten me, saying that if I didn't get him in check, they would."

 

The raven haired man turned around, facing his wife as he continued, "I did everything I could to protect him. I always had to face the consequences of his actions! All of my life I was the one to get punished! I always had to pay for his sins! I had to pay for all of the mistakes he made! I grew sick of it. I just wanted him to stop being a little brat and get his act together. I did everything I could to keep him in line. He never listened to me! He never listened to a word I said! Then one day...he went too far..."

 

"What...what did he do?"

 

The girl took a step back when Hanzo turned away. He lowered his head, hiding his face from his wife. Edith listened closely. She began to hear her husband began crying. She could hear him whimpering, a sound she had never heard him ever make before.

 

"He...he snapped at one of the elders. He took his blade at them and threatened their life if they dared to interfere with him and his personal business. The elders then demanded I take care of him. I knew what they wanted me to do. Deep down, I didn't want to, however something inside me prevented me from reasoning with myself. Back then, I was just a puppet. I did everything they asked me. Except when it came for my brother...I couldn't follow their orders. I had tried to find an alternative to keep him safe This time...I did exactly as they told me."

 

Hanzo held his hands to his chest, holding his shirt with a tight grip.

 

"I didn't show him any mercy. I...I didn't hesitate when I pulled my blade on him. I felt nothing when I sliced him open and cut him into pieces. I didn't feel satisfaction when the deed was done. I didn't feel happiness or sorrow. I felt nothing...Not a damn thing."

 

He was trembling now. His legs could no longer keep him up. Hanzo collapsed onto his knees, breaking down into tears from the memories flashing back into his mind. The sound of his brother screaming for him to stop. The feeling of blood splattering all over his face and dripping down from his sword. The emptiness he felt after committing the murder. The memories were clear as day.

 

"I left the clan immediately after the murder. I could feel the guilt and sorrow build up in me over time. It took over me and my life. I couldn't forgive myself then, and I still can't forgive myself now." Hanzo told his wife, who was standing behind him in silence. "I wandered the world, wanting to seek death. I couldn't live knowing what I had done, so I searched for someone, anyone to kill me. I was too much of a coward to do the deed myself. That was when I met the vampire who had turned me. I begged for him to kill me. I begged over and over to end my life and my misery. Instead of killing me, he turned me into what I truly am. A monster. He damned me of the one thing I didn't want...Living."

 

Edith had nothing to say. She knew what it was like to lose family. She knew the guilt and sorrow of losing a sibling and wishing for death. Edith couldn't bring herself to compare the both of them. She knew that their conditions were different, and yet they were similar. Edith wanted to comfort her husband. She wanted to assure him that everything was okay. Of course she remained where she was, not wanting to force herself on him and causing more pain than he already had.

 

"I was cursed with this body. I could no longer age, I could no longer feel, nor could I even die. As centuries went by, I decided that living in this new body was my fate. It was my curse for killing my brother. Not only has it cause it to hate myself, but humanity. They began reminding me of my father, the clan elders...and they also taught me something else...how cruel and heartless they can truly be."

 

His words about humanity gave Edith mixed feelings. She didn't hate all of humanity, only those who were cruel and evil. But wasn't that all of humanity? Everyone she had known wanted her dead because they thought she was a witch. But they wanted her dead because of her family, who were also believed to be witches. Her family wanted to help people, though. They wanted to improve humanity with medicine and new knowledge. Of course that knowledge went against the word of God. Edith had been taught about the bible when she was younger. She believed in God just like the villagers that hated her. Yet they were too afraid to adjust to new things. They feared it went against the words of God.

She didn't remember much, however she remembered that the bible to say love thy neighbor, never commit murder, never steal, never lie, and she also remembered that God would forgive others no matter what. The priests had spoken of such things, and yet they don't even follow their own preaching. It was strange to remember it now, yet people now were using God as an excuse to murder people.

But there were good people in the world. Edith knew that there were. There were some people that showed Edith some sympathy and felt bad for her. Some even gave her a place to stay whenever she was running away from angry mobs. Those were only a few people. Everyone else either ignored her, tried to kill her, or ran her out of the villages. As much as Edith wanted to hate those that have caused her torment and sorrow, she couldn't bring herself to. There would be no point in hating others. She didn't want to become more cruel than they were.

 

"I no longer considered myself human after I had visited villages and seen the things they have done. I have seen them commit murders. I have seen them kill other vampires and burn people at the stake, all because of their beloved God. They think that killing innocent lives will bring them salvation? Oh, they are so foolish."

 

Hanzo chuckled at the end of his sentence. "But then again, I too am foolish. I am no better than them. I am as cruel and heartless as they are."

 

"No, you're not."

 

The girl placed her hand on her husband's shoulder. He flinched at her gentle touch, almost forgetting that she was right behind him. Hanzo reluctantly turned his head, his eyes locked onto her's. She gave him a warm and comforting smile.

 

"I know you did some awful things back then. We all have at some point. I've done terrible things, too. But we change over time. I know that you want to become a better person, Hanzo. And you have. Ever since we've gotten to know each other, you haven't been as scary and threatening as you used to be."

 

"But I killed those hunters. Do you not remember?"

 

"You did it in defense. I know that killing is wrong. They weren't good people and you may think they deserve it...but I don't. However I know you did it to protect me. I know you want to be a better person, Hanzo. You want to forgive yourself..."

 

The girl shifted her eyes downward, remembering the times she had broken down into tears in front of him.

 

"I know what it feels like to hate yourself. I know it all too well. And I know it's hard to forgive yourself, too. Believe me."

 

Edith brushed the tears from her husband's face. He was perplexed by his wife's words and her actions. Usually he was the one comforting her. She was speaking to him as if they had known each other for so many years. They've only known each other for months! They haven't even been married for a year!

 

"Edith, why are you being so kind to me?" The vampire demanded, his voice mixed with anger and sadness. "Why are you telling me such words?"

 

"Because you taught me to forgive myself. After we got married and bonded...I began to feel happiness again. I...I felt like I mattered again."

 

Hanzo motioned the rest of his body to face her. He was still on his knees, his eyes still locked onto hers. Edith caressed his cheek, wiping his tears away as she spoke with kindness,

 

"I forgive you, Hanzo. You've helped me forgive myself." She brushed his bang out of his face while caressing his cheek gently. "Now, I want you to forgive yourself too."

 

Her kind words shattered the vampire's heart. He broke down into tears, sobbing uncontrollably. Hanzo wrapped his arms around his wife, pulling her close into his embrace. He buried his head into her chest, his tears staining her dress. Hanzo felt pathetic crying like this. He was crying just like a child would into their mother's arms. Hanzo hated feeling like this. He didn't want his wife to see him in such a terrible state. Was this what she felt like the first few times she broke down?

As much as he hated it, it felt nice to release all of his emotions. It felt refreshing and almost therapeutic. Edith brushed her fingers through his long, raven hair. She had never seen her husband cry like this in her entire life. It didn't change her mind about him. She still loved him regardless of what he had done. What he had done was now in the past. Hanzo continued crying while Edith comforted him.

 

"It's okay to cry." She murmured. "It's okay."

 

The gentle tone of her voice made Hanzo cry even more. It reminded him of the many times his mother had comforted him. He felt safe in his wife's arms. He was thankful to have her as his beloved wife. He loved her more than anything in the entire world. He had made so many vows that he would protect her. The vampire clung tightly onto his wife, not wanting to let her go. He wanted to stop crying, and at the same time he didn't want this moment to end.

Hanzo repeated only two words to his wife through his sobs until his voice went hoarse,

 

"Thank you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for not posting, I had finals to study for. :I Next chapter is gonna be smut ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's some smut in this chapter. Just a heads up.

Winter was beginning to come to its end. The snow melted back into the soil, leaves reappeared on the trees, flowers were beginning to bloom, and the animals were returning back to the outside, along with pesky insects. Cinder became more curious about going outside to chase the small rodents, however Edith feared that Cinder would end up getting stolen or killed by another wild animal. Whenever she did go outside, Edith always had her eyes on Cinder. The cat never attempted to flee the area or run off. She would always stick close by, wrapping her tail around Edith’s ankle and meowing. Cinder would always stare at the birds or any other small rodent with her large, golden eyes. Sometimes she would chatter at them, but never attempted to attack them.

Most days Edith would go outside alone. She usually stayed close to the mansion. She feared leaving the perimeter. The day those vampire hunters came to their property made her feel more anxious about leaving the area. She also feared the possibility of more vampire hunters coming back and attempting to kill her, along with her husband. Edith pushed the bad memories back, not wanting them to linger in her mind anymore. It was all in the past. The hunters had what was coming to them. They shouldn’t have attempted to hurt her or her husband. Edith knew reasoning with herself about the incident wouldn’t help her. Sometimes it was difficult to push aside the memory of seeing her husband slaughter those men with no hesitation.

As more flowers bloomed each day, Edith began decorating the mansion with them. Hanzo didn’t pay any attention, nor did he seem to care about what his wife was doing. He never complained about it or appeared to be annoyed with what she did. Though he did suggest for her not to bring too many inside because when Edith had too many flowers inside the mansion, she would sneeze uncontrollably. The vampire found her sneezes adorable as she would squeak each time. Except seeing her in a miserable state made him feel guilty, so Hanzo threw the flowers back outside.

Sometimes Hanzo wished he could go outside with his beloved, however since he was a vampire, he had to remain inside, otherwise he would die by the sunlight. He too feared the possibility of vampire hunters coming to his home to avenge their fallen comrades. Hanzo would check on Edith as she picked up flowers from outside. Whenever he was unable to find her, He would end up panicking, fearing that she had gotten kidnapped or worse. Luckily Edith never left the area. She usually moved around the front yard out of her husband's view. Once he did find her, the vampire would be relieved.

Hanzo found himself staring at the girl every time she bent down to pick up the flowers. He found himself blushing whenever he stared at her bottom. He was so tempted to slap it. He was so damn tempted to grab her from behind and tease her. Hanzo always kept himself in check, scolding himself for thinking such lustful thoughts. Though it was difficult to push those thoughts away whenever Edith did something so adorable. The couple never talked about sex, nor have they attempted anything intimate together. All they did was kiss one another and snuggle in bed. The vampire wanted to get much more intimate with his wife. They hadn't been married for that long, but he so dearly wanted to make love to her.

The vampire day dreamed about seeing his wife naked. He dreamed about the day they would finally make love. Hanzo hadn't pleased himself in such a long time. He never dared to take pleasure in himself ever since he became a vampire. But now here he was, taking pleasure in himself as he imagined taking his wife's innocence. Hanzo didn't want to assume his wife was a virgin. He remembered that Edith had been along for so long like he had been, so there was a possibility she never did it with anyone. Then again, there could also be the possibility...Hanzo ignored the thought somebody else took his wife's innocence. He would be the one to take her virginity and claim her as his. It would be him who would impregnate her with his seed. If he could even impregnate her at all...

As the days went by, Edith hadn’t noticed her husband’s strange behavior. She always brushed it off as him being extra affectionate. There were times when she felt a little creeped out by some of the things he said and did. Edith paid them no attention, though. She didn’t usually understand the dirty comments or the flirtatious attempts her husband made on her. It made Hanzo frustrated. They hadn’t been married for that long, yet it felt like they had been for nearly centuries. Sometimes Hanzo wished Edith wasn't so oblivious to his comments. Then again, she was also adorable whenever she tilted her head at him when he said such lewd things.

There were so many things that Hanzo wished to do to his beloved wife. He wanted to grab her from behind, bite deep into her skin as he claims her. He wanted to pin her down onto their bed and ravage her body. He wanted to rip her clothes off so he can see her beautiful, nude body. He wanted to be inside her so much. He wanted to take their relationship to go much further than it already was. Hanzo feared that his desires would get the best of him. He didn't want to lose control and bring any harm to his wife. To relieve himself of his pain, he would await until night fell and Edith fell asleep.

Hanzo would watch his beloved wife sleep, causing him to feel much more aroused than ever. He adored how beautiful his wife looked when she was dreaming peacefully. The vampire knew it was wrong and disturbing to be watching her like this, but it was the only solution he could think of. Hanzo felt so tempted to slip his hands between the girl's legs as she slept. He wanted to tease her until she came in her sleep. Hanzo kept his hands to himself, stroking at his erection as he day dreamed of taking his wife's innocence. Once the deed had been done, the vampire would clean himself up and take a quick nap.

Finally, after a few nights of self pleasure, Hanzo finally had the confidence to ask his wife the big question.

 

The couple sat in the dining room together. Edith was eating while her husband stared off, his mind occupied on other things. Once the girl was nearly done with her food, Hanzo took a deep breath. Edith looked up, noticing the uneasy expression on her husband's face.

 

"Dear? Are you alright?"

 

"Yes, my love. I'm fine."

 

Edith wasn't sure whether to believe him or not. As she was about to finish her meal, her husband cleared his throat and asked,

 

"Edith...would you like to take things further in our relationship?"

 

The brunette lifted her head up, tilting her head to the side at her husband's question.

 

"Take things...further?"

 

"Yes. As in...we should...well..." Hanzo pulled at his neck tie, trying to keep his composure. "What I'm trying to ask you is...do you want to...do more things with me?"

 

"Like what?"

 

"Like...more kissing and more...cuddling."

 

His wife's face beamed up with joy. She nodded her head eagerly, however Hanzo knew that she had no idea what he was trying to hint at.

 

"Yeah! I want to do more hugs and kisses!"

 

Hanzo couldn't help but chuckle at her response. "My love, we are going to be doing more hugs and kisses, but I wanted to do something much more than that."

 

"More than hugs and kisses?"

 

What could he mean? Edith tried to think of what couples also did together. She wasn't sure what they also did other than hug and kiss. Surely couples did more than just that. Perhaps he was wanting to try a new way of bonding. But what would they be doing? Edith hadn't noticed Hanzo got up from his seat. She jumped as she felt him lift her up from her seat. The vampire pulled her closer to his body, tilting her chin up to look into his crimson eyes.

 

"Would you like to go further with our marriage, my dear?"

 

Edith's voice trembled as she stuttered, "I-I don't know what you mean by...g-going further..."

 

Hanzo's expression changed as he answered the girl's question with a straight face.

 

"I want us to have sex."

 

Edith's stomach dropped. Her eyes widened at what her husband had just said. She pulled herself away and cried, "No!" Edith looked away from her husband, her heart beating rapidly. The words of what her parents had told her echoed in her head. They told her that she must never have sex until she was married.But Edith was married now, and yet it felt wrong. She wasn't sure what she wanted. The idea of sex usually never crossed her mind. She was curious about it at times, but it never dwindled in her mind. Her parents had told her that sex was what made children, but she was also told that it was a sin. If it was a sin, then how would people have children?

 

"Forgive me my dear, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." The vampire apologized. "We do not have to if you do not wish to."

 

The girl thought for a moment. This might be her only chance to know what sex was really like. She might never have a chance at this ever again. Edith turned back around to face her husband. She hesitated when she asked her husband,

 

"W-will you...be gentle with me?"

 

The vampire stared at his wife in surprise. The way his wife looked at him with those innocent eyes made his heart skip a beat. Hanzo could feel his erection pushing against his tight pants. He took a hold of his wife's hands, answering her question with a gentle voice,

 

"Yes. I will."

 

With that, Hanzo swept his wife off of her feet, carrying her to their shared bedroom. Edith nuzzled her head against her husband's chest as he carried her. Once they arrived in their bedroom, Hanzo lied his wife down on the bed. Edith watched in anticipation as her husband pressed his hands against her hips. He began motioning them upward to her chest. The girl let out a gasp as Hanzo tore the front part of her dress off with all his strength. Her chest was completely exposed for his viewing. Edith attempted to cover herself, only to feel her husband pull her wrists down to her side. She let out pitiful whimpers. She didn't want Hanzo to be rough with her. This was her first time ever doing this with anyone.

Hanzo let go of his wife's wrists and continued right where he left off. He pulled the rest of his wife's ruined dress off of her body. Hanzo decided he would wait to remove her underwear. He had to get her aroused first. Besides, it wouldn't be fair for her to be naked while he was still fully clothed. Hanzo began to undo his vest. He then removed his shirt. Once he tossed his clothes off his body, Edith gazed in awe at her husband's frame. He was much more muscular than she had thought. He was a little hairy as well. The girl felt her cheeks burning up even more as Hanzo began removing his pants. He didn't remove his underwear, though. She noticed a bulge coming from his nether regions. Hanzo began crawling up onto the bed, position himself right on top of Edith.

He pressed his body against her's. She began to tense up as she felt his bulge rubbing against her. Edith wrapped her arms around Hanzo's waist, pulling him closer. He began embracing his wife in a deep, passionate kiss. Edith whimpered each time she felt his fangs press against her lower lip. The fear of him biting down on her caused her to tense up even more. Hanzo pulled away from their kiss, brushing a lock of his wife's brunette hair out of her face.

 

"My love, I won't bite you unless you really want me to."

 

"I-I don't want you to." Edith told him. "B-but nibbling is okay. Just...don't be too rough, please."

 

A smile formed on the man's face. "I won't."

 

Hanzo went right back to kissing his wife. He occasionally nibbled against her lower lip with his fangs, but never bit down too hard. He then trailed his kisses down her neck, where he began nibbling once more on her sensitive skin. He enjoyed the whimpers that escaped her lips. It was music to his ears. Hanzo trailed his kisses down to her chest. Edith watched as he did so. Her eyes widened as he groped one side of her chest with his lips on the other. He licked around her puffy nipple, circling his tongue around it. Hanzo glanced up at his wife, only for her to look away in shame. Why was he touching her like this? Her breasts weren't even big enough to be groped. Surely he knew that. Even though it felt good, Edith felt ashamed of their size.

The man continued teasing her nipples. They were not big, though that did not matter to Hanzo. He found them adorable. Hanzo teased the girl's nipples more, realizing how sensitive her body truly was. The vampire let out deep chuckles as his wife trembled from his touch. The innocent stare she gave him was so damn cute. Hanzo couldn't help but grin. He truly loved his wife. Edith began to feel a tingling sensation between her legs. She arched her hips up even more. Hanzo took notice of this. He lifted himself up, sliding a hand between her legs. Edith gasped as she felt him slip his hand into her panties. She let out a yelp as her husband inserted one digit inside her, causing her to whimper.

 

"Does that feel good, Edith?"

 

She nodded her head.

 

"You like it when I touch you like this?"

 

"U-uh huh..." She whimpered.

 

The girl continued moving her hips against her husband's touch. The tingling feeling was turning more of an aching pain. Edith pressed her head against the pillow as her husband pumped his digit slowly into her tight walls.

 

"You're getting very wet..." Hanzo murmured.

 

"I-I'm sorry..."

 

"No, no. Don't apologize."

 

Hanzo inserted one more digit inside her. He began curling his fingers slowly, teasing his wife's walls even more. Edith breathing quickened as he continued pumped inside of her. He wasn't being rough with her, though the pace he was giving her was much too quick for her to handle. He wouldn't go this quick once he went inside her. He had to prepare her for that, though. Hanzo let out soft hums to relax the girl. Her body soon gave in to pleasure. Edith had completely relaxed. Her breathing returned to a normal pace, though she would let out a soft whimper when Hanzo pushed too deep.

She allowed him to do as he wished with her. She rather have him have all the control, since he appeared to know what he was doing. Hanzo was glad that his wife put all her trust in him. When he looked up at her face, Edith tilted her head to the side again. Hanzo knew she was shy about doing this. It was her first time, after all. After a few minutes passed by, the vampire decided that it was time to move to the next step. He removed his fingers from the girl's hole, much to her dismay. Edith lifted her head up and watched as her husband began positioning himself on his knees. Hanzo pulled his underwear down to reveal his hard erection. It stood up proudly, ready to take his wife's innocence.

The vampire turned his attention back at his wife to find that her eyes were completely wide. Not out of amazement or shock, but pure horror. Edith just stared at his erection, her hands gripping tightly onto the bed sheets. Curious, the vampire asked his wife,

 

"Is something the matter?"

 

Did she not like the way it looked? Was there something wrong with it? Edith shifted her eyes up at her husband, her voice trembling with fear when she spoke to him.

 

"It's too big..."

 

Was he actually that big? Hanzo didn't really think he was big. He thought he was rather average. Perhaps Edith thought it was big because she had never seen one before. Or did his cock actually look that big?

 

"That's not gonna fit." Edith whimpered. "It's not gonna fit."

 

"Darling, relax." The vampire murmured.

 

"It's not gonna fit!" Edith cried. She tried to pull herself away from her husband, repeating the same phrase over and over.

 

"Edith, it's going to be alright. I promised I would be gentle with you, remember?"

 

"It's too big, though!" The girl cried. "It won't fit inside me! It's too big!"

 

Edith's breath quickened, almost to the point where she was unable to breathe. Tears were beginning to spill down her eyes. All confidence she once felt was now completely gone after witnessing the size of her husband's manhood. There was no way a thing like that would fit inside her. Edith had never seen a naked man before, but she was pretty sure most of them didn't have members that big. Or were they all that size? Hanzo gently cupped the girl's cheeks, wiping away her tears as he told her,

 

"Darling, I promised you that I would not be rough with you. But if you want to stop now, we can."

 

"N-no! I-I don't want to stop! But I'm..." Edith sniffled. "I'm...I'm scared."

 

"It's alright, my dear. It's going to be alright." Hanzo brushed a lock of the girl's hair out of her face. "I promise I will be gentle. Just let me know when you want to stop."

 

"O-okay..."

 

Edith lied back down on the bed, hesitantly spreading her legs apart. Hanzo pressed the tip of his cock against her folds, gently rubbing against it. Edith held onto the bed sheets while whimpering in fear. The vampire slowly eased himself inside of Edith, only to stop whenever she would cry out in pain. After a few more tries, he was only able to get the tip inside of her. Hanzo allowed Edith to calm down until she was ready for him to continue. She nodded, letting him know she wanted him to keep going.

The pain was unbearable. Surely if he were to go any deeper, she would probably die. Edith tensed up each time Hanzo pushed inside of her. It felt as if she was being torn in half. Edith bit her lower lip, her eyes shut tight as she let out painful cries while her husband went deeper into her. Hanzo could already smell the blood coming from her, but he kept himself composed for his wife's sake. With no warning, Hanzo thrusted all the way inside her, deep into her core.

Edith screamed in agony, writhing as her husband shushed her and pressed his body against her's. He was so big! He was too big for her! Edith wanted to scream for him to pull out. She wanted him to pull out right now. She didn't want to do this anymore! She wanted to stop right now! Hanzo brushed his fingers through his wife's soft hair, shushing her and assuring her everything was alright. His soothing voice helped calm Edith down. The one thing she loved was hearing him compliment her and shushing her with that deep, raspy voice of his. A few minutes went by and the pain began to subside. Hanzo lifted himself up, his eyes still locked onto Edith's.

 

"Are you alright, my dear?"

 

"Y-yeah..."

 

"We can stop now if you want."

 

Deep down, she really wanted to. She wanted that big thing out of her right now. Yet at the same time, she wanted it to stay inside her so she can adjust to the pain. Edith clung onto her husband as she told him,

 

"I wanna keep going."

 

"Are you sure?" The vampire inquired.

 

"Yeah."

 

"Very well, then. But if you really want to stop, you let me know."

 

"Okay."

 

With that, Hanzo began his pace. It was slow and gentle. It was loving and romantic. The vampire was amazed by how tight his beloved was. He loved how she milked his cock of all his lust. He gazed into her ocean blue orbs, brushing locks of her hair out of her face. Edith let out painful cries each time he thrusted back inside of her body. Her insides burned as her husband's manhood rubbed against her walls. Her eyes burned from the tears she had shed. Was this what sex was like? Was it always this painful? How in the world do people enjoy something like this?

Perhaps it was her stupid, sensitive body. Edith wished that she wasn't so small and delicate. She wished her body was much more mature. Maybe then she would be enjoying this. What helped Edith get through the intense amount of pain was her husband's voice. She listened as moans escaped from his lips. She trembled as he whispered sweet nothings in her ear. Edith had always wanted to hear her husband say such things, but she never thought she would enjoy the lewd comments he made.

 

"Such a good girl." He would whisper. "Oh, such a good girl for taking my cock like this..."

 

His praises made Edith feel giddy. She would feel her cheeks heat up even more with every word he said to her.

 

"You're such a good girl, Edith. You're so beautiful...so beautiful..."

 

"Ha-Han-" Edith winced as she felt a sudden sharp pain. "Ow!"

 

"Ah, I'm sorry." The vampire quickly apologized. "Are you okay?"

 

"Yeah...go slower, please."

 

Hanzo chuckled. "This is as slow as I can go."

 

"...Oh..."

 

Another chuckle escaped from the man's lips. "God, you're so adorable."

 

Hanzo continued thrusting as slowly and gently as he could. It was a little frustrating, but it felt good nonetheless. Hanzo preferred the slow pace anyways. The way his cock buried deep into her walls felt incredible. Her sweet fragrance filled him up more than the scent of blood. Long and deep moans escaped his lips each time he went back into her folds. The pattern continued after awhile, and soon the couple got the hang of it. In the past, before he even became a vampire, sex was never on Hanzo's mind. He was never interested in anyone at the time. He knew that many had desired him and wished to be fucked by him. Hanzo knew he had the power to fuck anyone he pleased back then, but none of that mattered to him. He would never gain anything in return.

Now, none of that mattered. All that he cared about was making his beloved Edith feel good. He wanted her to feel the pleasure that he had yearned for so long. All of those centuries of being alone to find the perfect girl was worth it. No more would he or his wife ever be alone. Whenever she felt needy or desired his cock, he would give her it. He would please her until she came. Hanzo buried his head against his wife's neck, nibbling once more at her skin. He inhaled her sweet aroma as he pressed his fangs against her skin. God, he loved her so much.

 

"Edith..." Hanzo sighed. "Oh, fuck...you're so tight..."

 

"D-does it hurt?" Edith asked.

 

"No...no, not at all...it feels so good!"

 

Never had Edith heard her husband sound so needy. It made her feel much more aroused. She loved hearing the sounds that escaped her husband's throat. She loved how kind and gentle he was being with her. She loved how handsome he looked, and yet she couldn't look him in the eyes. Every time he looked at her, she would turn away in embarrassment. Edith wished she had some kind of courage to look into her husband's lovely eyes. It just felt awkward now, especially in a moment like this. After looking away from him, Hanzo softly turned his wife head to face him.

 

"You are the most beautiful thing in this entire world." Hanzo murmured. "I love you so much, my dear."

 

Hanzo's pace began to accelerate. Edith's let out more cries of pleasure as her husband ravaged her body of his needy cock. His thrusts felt much more primal and violent, however there was a hint of love and passion coming from it. Hanzo bit down into the fabric of the pillow his wife's head rested on. His voice grew much louder than before. Edith could hear his muffled moans coming from the pillow as he thrusted passionately into her core. She wrapped her arms around his muscular frame, holding onto him tightly as she felt the familiar tingling return. Was she going to pee?

No! She can't pee now! Not at a time like this! Edith tried to tell her husband to stop, but all that came out were moans and whimpers. She couldn't even form a single coherent sentence. Her mind was going all over the place. Her husband's thick phallus pushed against her soft spot, nearly causing her to climax early. Hanzo lifted his head up from the pillow as he repeated the same phrases over and over. He too couldn't think straight, nor could he form a single sentence as his mind went wild. He could feel his cock eagerly throbbing. He was so damn close. The more he pounded, the more he was closer to coming.

 

"Edith...oh, Edith...I-I..."

 

Should he come inside her? Will she be alright with that? If he did come, would he get her pregnant? Will they even be able to have a family? Thoughts of doubt begun to cloud the vampire's mind, however he pushed those thoughts aside. As much as he wished for a family, he thought it would be best to wait. They had all the time to prepare for a family.

 

"Edith," Hanzo groaned. "I-I'm going to come..."

 

"Y-you...wh-wha...?"

 

"I'm going to come." He repeated. "Do you want it inside or outside?"

 

Edith wasn't sure what he was talking about. She didn't want him to pull out, so she responded,

 

"I-inside..."

 

"Are you sure?"

 

Edith remembered what she was told. Sex made children. If he came inside of her, would she end up having his child? Edith wasn't sure if she was even ready to be a mother. She had to take care of Cinder, but pets were different with children. The idea of being a mother sounded nice...but would she even be a good mom?

 

"Darling?"

 

"I-I don't know."

 

"Do you want to have a child with me?"

 

"I-I dunno..."

 

"Dear, you can say no-"

 

Edith interrupted the man. "I don't want you to pull out, but I don't feel ready to be a mother..."

 

Hanzo ceased what he was doing and cupped his wife's cheeks.

 

"We will make it through this together, my dear. I promise I will be by your side when you have my child."

 

"I-I don't even know if I can have a baby..."

 

"Don't worry about that. We have all the time in the world to prepare. Besides, we can always try again."

 

Edith nodded her head. With that, Hanzo continued where he left off. Edith felt her sides cramping as the familiar tingling feeling returned. She almost forgot that she might end up peeing on her husband. That would completely ruin the moment. Hanzo's thrusts became more violent and primal. He couldn't hold himself much longer. He clawed onto the bed sheets, still ramming his wife. He was so damn close. Hanzo almost forgot about being gentle with Edith. It was too late to slow down, as he was so damn close to coming. With each thrust, Edith cried out, her legs wrapped around her beloved's waist as he pounded deep into her core.

 

"Edith, I-I'm..." The vampire gulped. "I'm coming...!"

 

Finally, after so many years of tension, so many years of desire, Hanzo felt his release as he climaxed. He let out a long, sultry moan as his seed decorated his wife's walls. Edith came not long after, her walls milking up his cock of his seed. She could feel him twitching inside her. She loved how it felt as he was burrowed deep into her. Now Edith understood why people thought this was a sin. Hanzo reluctantly pulled himself out, watching as his seed flowed out of his wife's hole. The vampire collapsed next to his wife, lying next to her as she nuzzled herself against his body.

They calmed themselves down to catch their breaths. As a few minutes passed by, Edith had fallen asleep in her beloved's arms. The sun hadn't even set yet. Hanzo chuckled as he watched the girl sleep peacefully. He brushed his fingers through his wife's brunette hair. He too was becoming sleepy. Hanzo closed his eyes, listening to Edith's soft breathing as he drifted away into a pleasant slumber.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for late upload, this chapter was kinda hard for me to write (since I am terrible with writing smut in general) so here ya go. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)


	9. Chapter 9

A sudden aching pain awoke Edith from her slumber. She reluctantly opened her eyes. She felt them burning as she attempted to open them fully. As she was about to sit up, she felt a sudden pain, causing her to wince. It was coming from between her legs. When she lifted up the covers, she found herself completely naked. Edith was about to question why she wasn't wearing anything, but she began to remember the events of the other day. Her stomach completely dropped. She held both her legs together, trembling as the memories replayed in her mind.

Why did it feel so wrong? Edith was married. She consented to the act, and yet it she still felt icky. She was scared at first, but she began to accept her husband and allowed him to take her innocence. She trusted him with her body. She loved him.  But still, why did it feel so wrong? Was it because he wasn't a human? Edith tried to get herself out of bed, however the pain prevented her. It was completely unbearable. Everything down there hurt. Hanzo wasn't even rough with her. Maybe she was in pain because it was her first time ever having sex. Now that she thought about it, Hanzo was a little rough near the end as he was about to finish inside her. Right when Edith attempted to get out of bed once more, she cried out in pain again. How was she going to get out of here?

 

"Darling?"

 

Edith looked up to find her husband at the doorway. He was fully clothed, unlike her. Quickly, Edith took the bed sheets and covered her nude body. The vampire ignored her reaction and approached her.

 

"Are you alright my dear? I heard you down the hallway and thought you hurt yourself."

 

"N-no. I'm fine."

 

The vampire did not believe her claim. The expression on her face showed that she was in some kind of pain. He pressed his hand against her cheek. Edith shuddered in reaction to his gentle touch. She was not cold, nor was she burning up.

 

"Are you sure you are fine?" Hanzo questioned again.

 

"W-well...I'm a little sore from last night."

 

Last night...A strong wave of guilt hit the vampire hard. He hadn't realized he was holding his wife's hand as he began to remember what he had done. He wished that he wasn't so rough with her that night. If only he had waited a little longer. Maybe another year or two. But of course his selfish needs got the better of him. Hanzo didn't regret what he did. He loved every second of it. He cherished their first time together deeply. However, he felt terrible that his poor wife was in pain while he was completely fine. Edith noticed the troubled look on her husband's face. She placed her other hand on his colder one, assuring her beloved,

 

"Hanzo, it's okay. I'm not in a lot of pain."

 

"You sounded as if you were."

 

"My body is just sensitive, remember?"

 

"Yes, but still."

 

As Edith was about to assure her husband once more that she was fine, he lifted himself up from their bed. He took her hand and aided his wife up. She did her best to not worry her husband any further by hiding her pain. Of course, Hanzo could tell that she was trying to hide it.

 

"Do you need anything, dear?"

 

"Some clothes, please."

 

Hanzo let the girl's hand go as he went to get something for his wife to wear. He came back with a long, white gown. Edith took it from his hands and put it on as quickly as she could. She couldn't stand being naked around him. She didn't want him to see her disgusting body any longer. She'll probably never understand how he was able to have sex with her when she has a disgusting body. After getting dressed, the vampire took his wife's hand once more and asked,

 

"What else would you like for me to do?"

 

"Um...I'm a little hungry. Could you make me some breakfast?"

 

"Very well, dear."

 

Right as Edith took a step, she felt a sharp pain in her sides. Luckily Hanzo was there for her as she nearly collapsed onto the ground. He wrapped one arm around her to help her keep her balance.

 

"I-I'm fine, Hanzo."

 

"No, you are not. Perhaps you should lie back down."

 

"No!" The girl insisted. "I can walk. I-I'm just sore."

 

"Fine. But let me help you walk."

 

Edith nodded her head. They made their way down the dark corridors. Edith stayed close to her husband, wobbling slowly as she held onto his dark cape. Hanzo didn't care how slow she was going. He rather have her walk slowly by his side than walking alone, struggling with pain. Edith would stop in her tracks if the pain got to unbearable. Sadly, Hanzo didn't have any kind of medicine with him to numb his beloved's pain. There wasn't any kind of medicine like that. Besides, if he went out to get any, everyone would just tell him to pray for his wife to heal. They didn't believe that medicine would help. They rather believe in their merciless god to save their loved ones than doing it themselves. Once the couple arrived in the dining room, Hanzo helped Edith sit herself down.

 

"What would you like to eat, my dear?" asked the vampire.

 

"Anything that we have."

 

"Come now, there must be something you want to eat."

 

"I don't know. You can give me whatever we have."

 

A sigh escaped from Hanzo's lips. He wasn't going to insist any further. He left to get his wife her food while she remained in the dining room. Edith stared off into space, the guilt still lingering in her heart. She didn't know why she couldn't shake the feeling away. Edith kept assuring herself that what they did was okay. Both she and Hanzo were married. They both agreed to doing it together. Even though Edith was afraid, she accepted her husband to be her first. But why was she still guilty? It wasn't because her husband was a vampire. That didn't matter to her. She loved him no matter what he was. It was because of what would happen to them after. What if she ended up pregnant with his child? What if he didn't want that child and tried to kill it? Would he kick the both of them out of the mansion? What if he did want children, but she was unable to conceive any? Would he kick her out still and go find another woman?

What if he found a woman with a much better body than hers? What if he found another woman who was better than her? The idea of her beloved husband finding someone else broke the girl's heart. She tried to hold the tears back. She didn't want to worry her husband any further. Edith heard the sound of her husband's footsteps echoing in the empty room, however she ignored it as she did not want him to notice her sorrow. Hanzo placed the girl's breakfast on the table. Edith looked down to see it was manchet bread and some pork. The girl didn't question where her husband got the pork from. As she began eating, Hanzo noticed that his wife's face was glum. The vampire sat next to her, watching her eat her food. Hanzo deeply wanted to know what was troubling his beloved. He didn't want to pressure her into telling him what was wrong, but it was also not healthy for her to keep it bottled up.

Edith finished her meal. Right as she was about to get up, her husband spoke out loud.

 

"Edith, my love?"

 

She almost forgot that Hanzo was still with her. She turned and looked at him. He had a stern look on his face. There must be something he wanted to ask her. Hanzo cleared his throat as he began to speak,

 

"Is there something that has been troubling you, dear?"

 

Does he know what was upsetting her? Is she really that bad at hiding her emotions. Edith looked away from the man as she responded,

 

"No. There's nothing bothering me."

 

"Edith, I do not appreciate you lying to me."

 

"But I'm not-"

 

She was interrupted with a sharp glare. He knew that there was something wrong.

 

"Edith. I am not mad at you. I just want you to tell me what's wrong."

 

"Hanzo...nothings wrong. I'm just really sore from last night."

 

"Is that all?"

 

The brunette nodded her head. It was clear to him that she was lying. Hanzo lifted himself up from his seat and approached the girl. He placed his hand on her head, gently ruffling her hair as he murmured,

 

"My beloved, I want to make sure you're alright. If there is something that is troubling you, you can tell me. I will not be angry with you for what you have to say."

 

She truly wanted to believe him, however Edith had a feeling he was saying such things so he could gain her trust. Edith did want to tell him what had been bothering her ever since she had awoken. She wanted to tell him what she was worried about. Even though he sounded genuine, the girl was still afraid of what would happen if she did tell Hanzo what she felt. Hanzo placed his hand back at his side. Right as he was about to help the girl back up to her feet, Edith mumbled,

 

"Something has been bothering me..."

 

"What did you say?"

 

"Something has been bothering me." The girl repeated.

 

"Do you want to tell me?"

 

The room fell silent again. Edith didn't look at her husband. She hung her head low, too afraid to look at him in the eyes. She clung onto her gown, closing her eyes tightly as she tried to push the tears back.

 

"If...if I tell you, you promise you won't get angry with me?"

 

"Why would I get angry with you in the first place?" Hanzo questioned.

 

"Promise you won't get angry with me."

 

"I promise."

 

Edith let out a deep sigh, her breath shaking as she did so. Once she finally had the courage to speak, she began explaining,

 

"I know that I've opened myself up to you before...but yesterday...that moment we made love...that was the first time I ever allowed myself to be open around anyone. I didn't regret what we did, Hanzo. It did hurt when we did it, but I didn't regret it. I enjoyed it a lot...but...I was so scared that you wouldn't like how I would look...or how I even felt..."

 

"Is that what has been troubling you so much?" Hanzo knelt down to his wife's side, placing his hand on her shoulder. "My dear, I don't care what your body looks like. I only care about making you feel good. I care about making you feel nothing but pleasure-"

 

"That's not the only thing that has been bothering me." Edith interrupted.

 

Taken aback, the vampire stared at his wife. His hand was still on her shoulder as she continued explaining,

 

"I remember telling you I was worried about not being able to have a baby, but you also said we could wait or try again...b-but...." Edith paused. She couldn't hold the tears any longer. "I...I'm afraid...I'm afraid that you'll leave me. I'm afraid that you'll throw me out if I can't give you a child or if I even have one. I'm afraid you'll find someone better than me that have a child!"

 

The poor girl broke down into tears, covering her face as she sobbed. Hanzo was shocked that his wife would think such a thing. He would never abandon her, ever! It didn't matter if she couldn't have a child or not. He loved her no matter what. Even if she did end up having a baby, he wouldn't just kick her out or abandon her. He would do everything he could to raise their child. Besides, there was nobody in the entire world that could ever bring him happiness.

 

"Oh, Edith..." The vampire murmured. "I would never, ever leave you. Even if you cannot give me a child at all, I will still love you. As I already said, we have all the time in the world to have a child. We do not need to rush things."

 

"B-but..."

 

Hanzo shushed his wife. "Do not worry anymore." The vampire lifted himself up. Edith removed her hands from her face with hesitation. She turned to face her husband, her eyes red from crying. He held his hand out to her, a soft smile on his face. Edith hesitated at first. She knew that her husband did love her with all his heart, and yet her doubt prevented him from trusting him fully.

 

She couldn't keep acting like this. He had done everything for her, given her a home, food, warm clothes, and a pet. Edith wasn't going to allow her doubts to get to her. She wasn't going to allow it to stop her from opening herself up more. The girl took her husband's hand, helping her up from her seat.

 

"Would you like to lie back down and rest, my love?"

 

"Y-yeah..."

 

Edith was no longer feeling as sore as she did when she woke up, though it still hurt to walk. Hanzo had the girl lean against him as he lead them back to their bedroom. They arrived back into the bedroom, where Edith collapsed onto the bed. Hanzo sat on the edge and told her,

 

"If there's anything else you want, let me know."

 

"Can...can you stay with me a little longer, please?"

 

"Of course."

 

Before he could crawl into bed, the girl stopped him by blurting,

 

"Wait! I-I want you to...to um...to take..."

 

"To take what?"

 

She hesitated. "Uh...to take your..."

 

"You want me to take my clothes off?"

 

He noticed her shifting her eyes away as she mumbled, "If you want to." Hanzo wasn't sure if Edith wanted to snuggle with him, or if she had other things on her mind. She didn't have to be shy about it. The vampire began stripping himself of his clothes, however he kept his pants on. It wouldn't be a good idea to start having sex if she was still sore. Finally, Hanzo joined his beloved in bed, wrapping one arm around her while she snuggled her head against his chest. She closed her eyes and started drifting away while her husband brushed his fingers through her hair. She always liked it whenever he did that. Before she could fall asleep, Hanzo interrupted her by asking,

 

"Darling?"

 

"Yeah?"

 

"Why did you want me to take my clothes off?"

 

Her face heated up by his question. She tried to explain herself, only to end up stuttering,

 

"W-well I...I uh...I wanted to...I wanted...to snuggle and..."

 

"And?"

 

"Nothing! Just snuggle. That's all."

 

"Were you wanting to do it again...?"

 

Edith froze. "No..."

 

Her cheeks were flushed. Did she really want to try again? Hanzo wanted to tease her for being a naughty girl, however he didn't want to cause her to break down into tears again.

 

"Edith, I don't think it's a good idea that we have sex now. You said you were sore, after all."

 

"I know...b-but I...I wanna try again."

 

The vampire's eyes widened. "You want to what?"

 

"I wanna try again."

 

This girl...Hanzo let out a sigh. There was no way that she was going to withstand the pain. What in the world made her think it would be a good idea? The vampire was starting to feel himself become hard. He'll have to be much more gentle than yesterday, other wise Edith will be in much more pain.

 

"Alright. I'm going to be gentle with you. If it starts to hurt, you let me know right away."

 

Edith nodded her head in agreement. She lied herself on her back while her husband began positioning himself on top of her. She watched eagerly as he began to unbuckle his pants. Edith assured herself that this wasn't going to hurt as much as yesterday. Hanzo pressed himself against his wife, their lips inches away from one another.

 

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

 

"P-please..."

 

God, he loved that sweet voice of hers. There was no way he was going to resist such an innocent voice like that. A gentle smile formed on Hanzo's face as he obliged with his wife's request.

 

"Very well."

 

  
After a few sessions and a few nights of pleasure, Edith was finally getting used to the new sensation of making love with her husband. No matter what, she enjoyed every moment of it. All her husband had to do was say something in that sultry voice of his to make her feel completely weak. It didn't matter how many times they did it, it always felt good. Edith was too shy to try anything new. The couple decided to wait a little longer for doing other spicy things. Hanzo would slip in some new ideas and scenarios for his wife, which she did enjoy at times.

Edith was forward with what she disliked. She would immediately tell Hanzo if she didn't like something and he wouldn't do it. Edith enjoyed simple and sweet love making more than anything more spicy. Hanzo enjoyed that more than being kinky. It felt more genuine and erotic. Though they had sex almost every day, it never seemed to get boring. They would take a few breaks after a few weeks, as they did not want to focus just on their sex life, though it did bring them much closer than before. Edith finally felt more confident in herself. She no longer felt ashamed of her body. She no longer felt any doubts or thought of anything negative. For once, she didn't have to worry about anything.

 

Edith was fast asleep in her bed. Hanzo hadn't joined her yet. For some reason, Edith could fall asleep. Usually she would be asleep by this hour, however there was something that was making her feel very ill. She was wrapped with warm blankets, and yet she felt cold. Surely she hadn't caught anything, had she? She hadn't told Hanzo that she hadn't been feeling well. Perhaps she ate something, making her feel ill. Suddenly, Edith felt as if she was going to throw up. Quickly, she got up from the bed. She rushed down the dark hallways, unsure where she was going. She immediately stopped in her tracks, unable to continue any further.

She collapsed onto her knees and coughed violently, only to end up vomiting. She didn't want Hanzo to see her like this. What would he think if he saw her in this state? Surely he'll find it disgusting. The pain of vomiting was unbearable. Edith couldn't handle it any longer. It finally ended, only for Edith to feel much more sick than ever. She couldn't even get back up on her feet. Who was going to clean this mess up? It was almost time to go to bed. She wouldn't have enough time to hide the evidence from Hanzo. Edith felt too dizzy to even move. Her eyes were burning from them being open. Edith was certain she wasn't sick. Surely she wasn't...

 

"Edith?"

 

The girl turned around, unable to keep her eyes open for long. Hanzo quickly rushed to his wife's aid. He noticed the mess she had made, but ignored it. He was more concerned for her well being. The vampire lifted his wife up from the ground, checking her temperature. She was a little warm, but not too much.

 

"Are you alright?"

 

"No..."

 

"Come, let's get you to bed."

 

"What about-"

 

"I'll clean it later." Hanzo assured her.

 

Hanzo lead his wife back to their bedroom as quickly as he could. He cleaned her face and changed her gown. He lied her back down onto their bed, covering her up with so she could be warm.

 

"I-I'm sorry, Hanzo."

 

"Don't apologize."

 

"B-but...but I don't even feel sick."

 

"You don't feel sick?"

 

Edith shrugged. "It's hard to explain. I don't know if I am sick or not. I hope I'm not."

 

Hanzo brushed a lock of his wife's hair out of her face, asking her, "Could you tell me what you've been feeling for the past few days?"

 

"Well...it started out after I felt like sleeping more. Then, I began feeling like I have to throw up and pee a lot. After that, I began feeling a lot of cramping. I haven't been bleeding down there lately. I don't know if that's normal or if it just happens randomly. I still haven't figured that out-"

 

"Wait, you said you haven't bled down there recently?"

 

"Yes. Why?"

 

The vampire's eyes locked onto his wife. The things she had been telling him weren't signs of an illness. They were signs of a pregnancy. Surely he hadn't gotten her pregnant already? They hadn't discussed having children yet! It crossed his mind a few times, but he didn't actually expect to get her pregnant already!

 

"Darling, what's wrong?" Edith asked. "Am I sick?"

 

"N-no. You're not. You're not sick at all."

 

"Then what's wrong with me?"

 

Hesitant, Hanzo gave the girl her answer.

 

"My love, You...might be pregnant."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm very sorry for this chapter being boring and slow. I got sick over the weekend and I also had to catch up with school. I also kinda forgot about this story. Sorry :<


	10. Chapter 10

After a few minutes of freaking out, Edith had finally calmed herself down. She lied on her side, her back facing away from the door. She couldn't believe that she was pregnant. She didn't think it could happen, especially with a vampire. Maybe she actually isn't pregnant and she just got super sick. Then again, there was still that possibility that she indeed was going to be expecting a child. Though she and Hanzo had known each other for almost a year, it still felt sudden.

Edith wished that she waited a little longer. She didn't feel ready to be a mother. She feared the possibilities of what might happen to her and her child. What if it dies during birth? What if it dies before birth? What if she dies? Or worse, what if they both die? Would Hanzo be angry after having the child? Would he become furious and annoyed with it and chose to abandon the both of them? Would he kill it? No matter how many times Edith tried to assure herself her husband wouldn't do such terrible things, thoughts of doubt clouded her mind.

Hanzo entered the room, finding his wife facing away from him. He approached her and sat down on the edge of the bed. Edith could feel his weight pressing down on the mattress, causing her to lift her head up. He wasn't facing her, just like she wasn't facing him. Edith lied her head back down on the pillow, waiting for Hanzo to say something. Like her, he remained silent. What could he say that could assure her everything was alright? He knew about pregnancies, except he didn't know that it was possible to impregnate a human. He thought it was impossible.

They were usually dead. Would their child be born dead? Would it end up dying and then come back to life? The vampire pushed aside any negative thoughts from his mind. He didn't want to think about that right now. He needs to worry about his wife and her condition. Hanzo hadn't read anything about humans or vampires mating and having children, but surely it has happened at some point. After a few minutes of awkward silence passed, Edith decided to break it by asking her husband,

 

"So...will my pregnancy...be a normal one?"

 

Hanzo didn't reply immediately. He didn't want to lie to her, but what could he say? He didn't know how pregnancies with a vampire's child could work. There has to be a book about it somewhere. Hanzo gave his wife a short answer, but he knew it wouldn't be enough to calm her down.

 

"It should be."

 

"What do you mean it should be?" Edith lifted herself up from her bed, sitting up as she held her stomach gently. "Are you telling me my baby might kill me?"

 

"Darling, I don't know. I wish I did know, but I don't." He let out a frustrated sigh. "This has never happened before as far as I know. I can look through my library and see if there are any records of humans having children with vampires."

 

The brunette nodded her head.

 

"Although there's a possibility you won't like the results."

 

"It's okay. As long as we have an idea of what might happen."

 

With that, Hanzo got up from their bed and left. He made his way to his library to find anything about the union between humans and vampires. Hanzo searched for hours, and yet he found nothing. Surely there was something about humans being impregnated by vampires. If his kind had been around for a long time and terrorized humans, surely there were some that fell in love with humans and mated with them.

But if they didn't, what if he was the first? No, he couldn't be the first. Surely there had to be something. Anything! Hanzo guessed that he would have to double search in case he missed something. Finally, after long hours of searching, Hanzo found something. It was one of the first books he found when he became a vampire. He never read it since then.

Quickly, he scanned through the pages to find anything about humans and vampires mating. Hanzo let out a sigh of relief when he found what he was looking for. He read the book carefully, making sure he didn't skip anything. According to the book, vampires can indeed impregnate humans. The children they had were known as dhampirs. Usually male vampires would go after humans they had once loved when they were alive. If they were to mate and the woman got impregnated, they would give birth to the dhampirs.

Hanzo always thought it was impossible for him, let alone any vampire to impregnate a human. Then again, he wasn't like most of the vampires in folklore. So there might be a possibility dhampirs aren't like what they are in folklore. Once Hanzo finished reading the section about the dhampirs, he found nothing about what would happen to women that were impregnated. He looked in any other books for anything else. Of course, he got nothing.

Though he felt defeated, Hanzo assured himself that he found something. He would have to keep a close eye on his wife. He would have to do everything he can to keep her healthy, along with their child. As he went back to his bedroom, he found Edith fast asleep. She was curled up in a ball, shivering from the cold. Hanzo let out a soft chuckle, but felt guilty that she wasn't covered. He'll probably tell her what he found tomorrow. The vampire grabbed the covers, placing them over Edith to keep her warm. He didn't want her to catch a cold while she was expecting.

He then joined his wife in bed, not even bothering to change into his sleep wear. He wrapped one arm around her, pulling himself closer to her. Hanzo didn't fall asleep quickly. He felt too worried about what would happen to his beloved as she was carrying their child. Surely she would be fine, but then again, there was always a possibility either she or their child will die. No, he wasn't going to let that happen. Hanzo was going to make sure he took good care of both his wife and their child.

 

The next day came rather quickly. Hanzo almost forgotten that he had fallen asleep. As he sat himself up, he found that Edith was not lying on their bed. He found her standing against the doorway. Hanzo could see the worried look on her face.

 

"Did you find anything last night?" She asked him.

 

"Yes. I did." Hanzo got up from the bed. "However, I couldn't find much."

 

"That's okay. Tell me what you found, dear."

 

Hanzo approached his wife, noticing that she looked a little different. She had pale skin, but it usually wasn't this pale, right? Maybe it was because Hanzo hadn't awoken fully and his eyes were still adjusting.

 

"As I was searching, I found out that vampires can indeed impregnate humans. The children they have are called "dhampirs." I couldn't find much other than how they appear and how they can be threats to vampires."

 

"That's all...?"

 

Defeated, the vampire nodded his head. "I looked through every book I had to see anything about the pregnancy for humans. I found nothing. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens."

 

Edith nodded her head. As Hanzo continued staring at his wife, he noticed that she almost looked sickly. There were dark circles under her eyes, though they weren't as noticeable unless someone were to stare at her for a long time. When he looked down at her belly, he thought that she grew a little. Perhaps it's just his mind playing tricks on him for being paranoid.

 

"Would you like to eat something, love?"

 

The girl nodded her head. "I was waiting for you to wake up so you could feed me. I feel too lazy to make anything for myself."

 

Hanzo chuckled. "At least you're honest."

 

He lead his wife down to the dining room. As he sat her down, he went back to the kitchen to fetch something for her to eat. Edith waited impatiently, feeling a sharp pain in her stomach. Was she that hungry? It didn't ache like she usually did whenever she was starving. Edith wondered if this was the child inside of her that was hungry. No, that couldn't be possible. Doesn't it take a long time for babies to grow inside their mother's belly? Surely she was just really hungry.

What felt like years, Hanzo finally returned with breakfast. Edith was eager to devour her food. Once Hanzo placed the food right in front of his wife, he was shocked when she grabbed the cooked beef and began devouring it like a wild animal. He just stared at her with wide eyes. Edith never ate like this. Was his poor dear that hungry? Hanzo was amazed that his wife finished her food quickly than she usually does. What was also strange was that she didn't eat anything else other than meat. The cut up fruits and sliced bread were all that was left on her plate. Once Edith had finished, she noticed her husband staring at her in shock.

 

"Is something wrong, dear?" Edith inquired.

 

Hanzo snapped out of his trance, stuttering as he replied to her question.

 

"N-no. Nothing is wrong."

 

The girl shrugged it off. Right as Hanzo was about to take her plate, Edith asked,

 

"Could you give me some more beef, please? Oh, maybe some pork and chicken while you're at it?"

 

"I...I can see if we have anymore left." Before Hanzo could take her plate, he asked her, "Don't you want to eat the rest of your breakfast?"

 

Edith shook her head. "It smells weird."

 

Strange. Edith had grown the fruits since last week. Surely they hadn't rotted yet. They looked fresh, too. Hanzo made his way back to the kitchen to find anymore meat they had stored away. Before Hanzo could even check, he started to realize why his wife didn't want to eat the other food. It must be due to her pregnancy. Vampires usually didn't like to eat, they drank blood. But if they had to, they would eat meat.

Edith must be feeling what the child is feeling. It must want to eat meat, especially fresh, raw meat. Then, it might want to feast upon human flesh...and then blood. No. It wouldn't want to feed that early. There was a possibility it wanted to feast upon blood, but not human flesh. Hanzo will just have to give his wife meat, and try to force her to eat other food. When he returned to the dining room, he told Edith,

 

"We don't have much meat left, dear. Try to eat the rest of your food."

 

"But it smells funny." She complained. "I always like eating oranges and tomatoes, but I don't wanna right now."

 

"Just try a small bite." Hanzo handed his wife a piece of the cut up orange.

 

Edith took it from her husband's hand. As she bit down into it, she shuddered. From the look on her face, she didn't appear to like it.

 

"I'm full, dear."

 

"Alright then."

 

With that, Hanzo helped the girl up to her feet. She leaned against her husband and mumbled,

 

"I'm tired."

 

"Dear, you just woke up."

 

"I'm sleepy, though." Edith looked up at her husband with her blue eyes.

 

Hanzo let out a sigh. "Alright." He helped her back to their bedroom while she leaned against him. She must be tired because of her pregnancy. Poor thing. By the time they arrived back to their room, Edith could no longer walk. Hanzo had to carefully carry her to their bed. He made sure he didn't carry her in a uncomfortable position. He gingerly lied her down on the bed. Before he could cover her body, he took a look at her belly.

It did look a little bigger as she lied down. Hanzo placed his hand on it. It didn't feel flat like it used to. She wouldn't have gotten this big. It takes nine months for the child to grow. Then again, she was pregnant with a vampire's child, his child. Hanzo feared what would happen to his wife as the child grew larger. Would it grow much more quickly, or would it be much longer? What will happen to Edith? She almost appeared to be sickly. Had he not been so observing, he might not have noticed until it was too late.

If the child grew rapidly and brought harm to his beloved Edith, what will he do? As much as the thought hurt him, he knew there would have to be a choice; let his beloved wife or the child die. Edith would want him to choose the baby's life over hers. He was aware that he might have to come to that decision, but if he did, could he turn Edith into a vampire before she died. No, he promised himself he wouldn't turn her. Hanzo tried not to think of the possibility his wife would die. He would have to wait until that time did come. Right now, he had to focus on taking care of her. Hanzo remained in the room, watching over his wife as she slept. Whenever he looked at her, all his doubts and worries faded away.

He loved her so dearly. Looking at her sweet, gentle face made him remember how she loved him as well. He brushed a lock of her hair out of her face, tracing his fingers against her nails. A gentle smile formed on his face while staring at her. Everything that he had once feared and worried about meant nothing now, and that's what he loved about his beloved Edith so much.


	11. Chapter 11

Hanzo's worries were confirmed after a few weeks had passed by. Though he knew he shouldn’t have felt surprised, he still was after seeing the condition his wife was in. Each day, Edith appeared more sickly than ever. Her skin was almost completely pale like a corpse. The circles in her eyes grew darker and she appeared to be in a much more tired state. The vampire did everything he could to make his wife feel better. No matter what he did, it didn't seem like she was going to get any better. He didn't want to think of the worse, but deep down in his heart, he feared that might up becoming a possibility.

Everyday, Hanzo feared that Edith would end up lying on the ground, completely lifeless. He didn't want to think about it, but in the current state she was in, it was hard to not think about. Edith could see the look of sorrow in her husband's eyes. She knew he was just as worried as she was. Edith knew she was growing weary every second. She wanted to get the baby out, but if she did, it might end up dying. What if the baby ends up dying either way? Edith assured herself the baby wouldn't die. She assured herself it would be worth it in the end. Even if it meant she had to give up her own life.

Sometimes though, Edith would lie awake, wondering if she would end up dying like this. Was this meant to be her fate? If she were to die, will Hanzo take care of the child, or will he abandon it for being the cause of her death? No, it wouldn't be the baby's fault if she died. It was just how life worked. No matter how cruel it was, that was just something they would have to accept. With the baby kicking inside of her, it was difficult to sleep at night. Luckily Hanzo was always awake and he kept her company. The only way that eased her pain was whenever he rested his hand on her belly.

It was almost as if it their unborn child could sense him from inside. It was silly to think about, but Edith thought it to be true. Sometimes Edith would sing lullabies to herself whenever she was unable to sleep. She felt silly for doing so, especially whenever Hanzo was in the same room with her. He didn't care though. He enjoyed listening to his beloved sing. It was soothing as he would find himself falling asleep to the peaceful tunes. If Edith was able to make him feel sleepy, surely their child would feel the same way.

 

A few more weeks passed by. Edith's belly had grown rapidly. Surely at any moment she would go into labor, however the couple didn't know when it would happen. It didn't even take a month for the baby to grow. As sickly and weary Edith appeared to be, she was rather happy. Hanzo wanted to be happy as well, but a small part of him felt worried, even guilty. He wished he had waited a little longer until she was ready to become a mother. If only he thought about the consequences sooner. Had he studied more about humans being impregnated with a vampire’s child, maybe he would know how to help his beloved.

He worried what would happen to him, to his wife, and to their child. Either way, if one or both of them died, Hanzo would be forced to watch them pass on to the next life, a realm he would never be able to reach. During the many times Hanzo worried, Edith would ease him by asking what they should name their child. Edith kept saying if it was a girl, she wanted to have "Rosa" in her name. First or middle name. However, they weren't sure what they were going to name their child if it was a boy. Hanzo never thought about any names for their child. Surely he come up with one.

 

Edith was sitting on the edge of the bed, rubbing her belly while Hanzo was reading a book to pass the time. Edith's cramps and back pains were getting much worse, however she never told Hanzo. She thought it was her body still adjusting to the baby. All of the sudden, Edith felt a sharp pain. The yelp she let out alerted her husband, causing him to immediately drop his book. He rushed to his wife's side, asking her,

 

"Are you alright, love?"

 

"It...it hurts...!"

 

"What hurts?"

 

Suddenly, he began to notice something dripping between his wife's legs. She was already going into labor. Panic rushed through the vampire's veins. He cursed himself for not being prepared for this moment. He wished that there was some kind of doctor around, however there was nobody that could help him. Not a single person would help him either way. He couldn't rush out into the village and ask for a doctor to aid his wife during her labor. The village they had visited a while back was too far away and there couldn’t possibly be any doctors. He would have to do what he can.

 

"Darling...I-I think..." Edith gasped. "I think the baby's coming!"

 

"I know dear, I know." Hanzo assured her.

 

All Edith could feel now was pain. Why couldn't the baby just wait a little longer? The couple were aware that they were unprepared for this, especially Hanzo. Edith couldn't keep the baby inside her any longer. She could feel it pushing against her. Was it trying to claw its way out of her belly? Panic rushed through her veins at the thought of the child bursting out of her belly. There was no way it could do that, right? Edith noticed her husband running out of the room.

 

"Where are you going?!" Edith screamed. "Hanzo! Come back!"

 

He didn't respond. Did he just abandon her? Did he expect her to give birth to the child with no assistance?! Edith wanted to scream so many terrible things, but at the same time she tried to remind herself Hanzo wouldn't do something so cruel. Thankfully, he did return. The vampire placed a few blankets around her, mainly down her pelvis area. Edith's vision was starting to grow blurry while everything in her body felt as if it was on fire. She screamed at the top of her lungs as she felt the baby trying to escape.

 

"It's trying to kill me!" She screamed. "Get it out! Get it out!"

 

"Edith, calm down." Hanzo assured her. "It's not killing you."

 

"It's clawing at my stomach! It's going to kill me!"

 

Her mind was racing with so many thoughts and fears. All she could do was scream and attempt to get the child out of her. She begged for the pain to stop. She prayed to someone, anyone that could hear her to stop the pain. As she kept on screaming, her voice grew weary and hoarse. It stung each time she tried to let out a sound. Edith tried to keep herself awake, however the pain was so unbearable. This was even worse than dying. She could feel her husband’s hand wrapped around her’s, allowing her to dig her nails tightly into his skin. Through her blurry vision, she could see the vampire in front of her. Her mind was starting to become fuzzy. The pain was beginning to dull. Suddenly, couldn't feel anything. Did Hanzo numb her so she wouldn't feel the pain? Was the pain so unbearable her body ended up going numb?

Or was she dying?

Edith could hear her husband's muffled voice begging for her. She could make out a few words, but not too much.

 

"Stay awake..."

 

"Don't die..."

 

"Stay with me, darling...!"

 

The brunette’s eyes were growing heavy. Edith wasn't even sure if Hanzo was in the room anymore. He was so blurry, she couldn't make out his face. She couldn't hear his voice as clearly as she once did. Edith was certain she was dying. She couldn't even tell if she was breathing. Through it all, she could smell the scent of iron and sweat. Surely the iron like smell wasn't actually iron. If it was blood, would it trigger Hanzo's senses to feed? A jolt of fear went through the girl’s veins. If he did smell the blood, he might end up killing her, too. Edith wanted to beg for her husband to not eat their baby, however she felt too weak to even let out a simple whimper. None of the words could escape her lips. Surely she was speaking, wasn't she? Hanzo could hear her, right? As her vision grew darker and darker, Edith did all she could to keep herself awake.

Was she even screaming anymore? She couldn't make out a single sound. She couldn't even tell if she was screaming. Was the baby finally out? Did it die during the process? Is it dying right now? Is she dying? Edith couldn't die now. She had to deliver her baby. Once it was out, she could die. Edith apologized internally for all of the terrible things she had said and done. She prayed that somebody watched over her baby. She prayed Hanzo wouldn't hate her or their baby for dying. She prayed Hanzo wouldn’t kill the baby. She wanted to apologize to him for everything she had done to him.

Suddenly, everything was dark. It was silent. Edith wasn't sure if she was dead or if she was alive. Was she dreaming? Was all of this just a dream? Did everything she experience were nothing but just dreams? Perhaps she was just in a lucid nightmare and everything she had experienced weren't real. There was a faint sound in the distance. Edith was unable to make it out no matter how hard she tried to listen carefully. As it grew closer, she could finally make out the sound. It was a baby's cry. Edith fluttered her eyes open, the darkness subsiding as she noticed two blurry figures in front of her. As her vision cleared, she could make out the two standing before her. One was Hanzo, and he was holding something in his arms. There was blood covering whatever was wrapped in the blanket. It was moving and crying. Hanzo revealed to her that it was a baby. Her baby.  
A smile formed across the vampire's face as he murmured,

 

"It's our son."

 

With what little strength she had left, Edith held her arms out.

 

"Let me see our baby."

 

Hanzo agreed and carefully handed the infant to his wife. She couldn't even sit up, but she didn't care. She held the baby against her chest, letting it nuzzle against her as it cried.

 

"Hello." She cooed, her voice still sore.

 

Hanzo watched as his wife cradled their baby. Though their bed and their baby were covered entirely in blood, it didn't matter to him. He was just happy to finally see his son. Edith attempted to sit up again, only for her to yelp in pain. She did so anyway, all of the pain returning to her body. It was awful. She almost wished she went numb and passed out again. The baby continued crying as Hanzo sat next to them.

 

"He's so cute." Edith told her husband. "Look how tiny he is."

 

"He is adorable." The vampire agreed. "We should probably clean him and feed him."

 

"I wanna hold him a little longer."

 

"I promise you can hold him once I clean him."

 

Hanzo took the infant from his wife. As he made his way to wash the baby, Edith cried out,

 

"Please don't eat him."

 

"Very funny." The vampire replied.

 

The vampire left, taking the baby to a water basin and cleaned him up quickly yet gingerly. The infant continued crying while Hanzo washed him. As the vampire washed him, he shushed the child, assuring him,

 

“We’ll be with your mother soon, little one.”

 

Maybe the child was hungry. Or he was just agitated being away from his mother.Once he had finished. Hanzo held the infant close to him, rocking him and murmuring for him to calm down. That didn't stop the little infant from crying, of course. Once Hanzo had finished cleaning the child, he returned back to their bedroom. Edith looked up with eagerness as her husband gave the baby back to her. Hanzo watched as Edith cuddled with their infant son. Perhaps he would clean his wife up later. Edith pulled half of her dress down to allow the baby to feed.

She held her baby as carefully as she could. Hanzo watched the two of them, happy to see that they were both alive. However, there was still a high chance one or both of them will die. Edith might want to take their child to a priest to get it baptized as well. If that was the case, then they will have to do it sooner than later. The baby had ceased it's wailing and looked up at Edith with his eyes.

 

"He has your eyes, my dear." Hanzo said.

 

"He does?"

 

"Yes. They are as blue as your's."

 

Edith smiled. Her baby's eyes were indeed blue. After a few minutes, the baby began to fall asleep. Edith looked up at her husband and said,

 

"We never gave him a name."

 

"Do you want to think about it a little longer?" the vampire suggested.

 

"I wanna give him one now."

 

"Alright. Let's see..."

 

Hanzo thought for a while. He couldn't believe he didn't have a good name for his own child. Edith felt bad that she couldn't come up with a name for her own child. The couple thought for a while until something came up. Right as Edith was about to give up, Hanzo blurted out one word.

 

"Riku."

 

"Hmm?"

 

"Let us name our child Riku."

 

Edith tilted her head. "What does that mean?"

 

"It means "land" from my home country. It was the only name I could think of. If you do not like it-"

 

"No, I like it." Edith interrupted him. "It sounds nice. But why that name?"

 

“Well, I believe that when our son gets older, he will be strong and firm like the land he walks on. Or he could end up being stubborn.”

 

“Like you?”

 

The girl almost laughed at the expression her husband gave her. The vampire let out a sigh, mumbling,

 

“No.”

 

After a while, Edith’s pain went away. She rocked their son, making sure she didn't awake him from his slumber. As Hanzo watched, he couldn't help but grin. He never thought that he could end up with such a beautiful wife and son. Before, he thought he had been cursed to live this life of being a heartless monster, but now here he was with his wife and their newborn son. Maybe he wasn't cursed as he once thought. Hanzo was thankful to have met Edith. Had she not come to his mansion that fateful day, they wouldn't have their little baby. Hanzo wanted to hold him as well.

Instead, he allowed his wife to snuggle with him a little longer. He was going to have to make Riku a crib for him to sleep in. He wondered where his son’s room would be. He'll think about that later. Right now, he wanted to focus on this special moment. Hanzo allowed Edith to rest her head against his shoulder while continuing to hold their baby. He rested his head on top of hers as he murmured,

 

"You did a fantastic job, my love."

 

"You did, too." Edith giggled.

 

He let out a chuckle. He also agreed to himself that he did do a good job making their son. As the vampire shifted his eyes away, he noticed that their bed appeared like a murderer had taken place. Hanzo cleared his throat.

 

"I think we should clean you up, my dear."

 

"Oh...right."

 

Hanzo helped Edith up as she continued holding the infant in her arms.

 

"Can I take Riku with me?"

 

"I don't see why not."

 

The vampire got up from the bed, helping his wife up. He then helped her down the corridors to let her get cleaned up before they would fall asleep. Edith would need a lot of rest. She deserved it after all the pain she had gone through for the past few days.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for not posting in a while. School began becoming stressful and I didn't have much time to think of a good chapter to write.


	12. Chapter 12

Five months passed by. Even living through many centuries, nothing would've prepared Hanzo to become a father. Hanzo knew that raising a child would be difficult. He feared that he would end up treating his son like the way his father had treated him. However Edith believed that he was going to be a good father regardless. The vampire worried about the future of his son. He wondered if his child would age quicker like in the legends. Maybe his son will age normally. What worried him the most was the possibility his child might become a bloodthirsty monster like him. No. His little boy won't become a monster. He was going to show his boy how much he loved him. He wasn't going to treat his son like the way his father had treated him. He wasn't going to let that cycle repeat.

Both Hanzo and Edith loved their little son dearly. Edith always wanted the baby with her at all times. She would hum a lullaby to soothe the child. It always calmed him down each time she sang to him. However when Hanzo sang the lullaby, it wouldn't calm the baby down. Instead, it would just make him cry even more. The only thing the vampire could do to calm his child down was to give him to his mother. Whenever Riku wasn't crying, he would sometimes pull on his father's cloak. The child got enjoyment whenever Edith made silly and childish sounds. It seemed like Riku enjoyed his mother's company far more than his father's. Perhaps the infant could sense his father's dangerous aura, hence why he would always cry whenever he held him. Then again, he would pull on his cape and try to teeth on it. Hanzo tried to assure himself that Riku was just a baby and he didn't hate him. Though there was a hint of doubt that the child could have some dislike for him.

Edith was aware of her husband's insecurities and worries. She always assured him that Riku did indeed love him. He was just a baby. He just didn't understand how to express his emotions yet. Hanzo knew that his beloved was right. Once the baby got older, he would be able to express himself. For now he should cherish the moments of his little one as he is now. Children grow fast in the blink of an eye, so he should spend as much time as he could with his family.

 

The night was still and quiet. There was no sound other than Edith and Riku's breathing. The vampire found himself tossing and turning, unable to sleep. Ever since Riku had been born, Hanzo hadn't been able to fall asleep. It wasn't because the child's constant crying. It was the thought of him falling asleep and waking up to find both his wife and son not there with him. He feared the worst would happen to him as he slept. He didn't care if he were to get killed in his sleep, but if his wife or child were murdered as he slept...The thought haunted him every night. He forced himself to lay awake. He didn't care if he grew tired in the morning or felt completely drained of energy, he just wanted to make sure his family was safe.

Of course Edith would scold him if she found out what he had been doing for the past few nights. No matter, he was going to make sure nothing happened to either of them, even if it meant he would become completely drained. It was becoming difficult to keep his eyes open. The vampire's eyes began fluttering as weariness got the best of him. Just as he thought he was about to fall into a pleasant slumber, he began to hear the familiar shrieks of his infant son. The noise bolted the vampire right up from the bed. Luckily there was nothing inside but the crib that was placed across the room. Riku's cries awoke Edith from he sleep, mumbling with a sleepy voice,

 

"Hold on, sweetheart."

 

"Darling, let me." Hanzo offered.

 

Before Edith could insist, the vampire got up from the bed and approached the crib. He looked down at the infant crying. Hanzo picked his son up, holding him close to his chest. Hanzo shushed the boy, murmuring to the child,

 

"Hush now, my little one. Hush now."

 

At first, Edith thought that Riku would continue on crying. To her amazement, Hanzo's gentle voice shushed the child. His cryings slowly died down as Hanzo rocked him slowly and spoke gently to him.

 

"It's alright, my little one. There's no need to cry. It's alright."

 

Edith stared in awe. She got up from the bed, joining her husband's side as she looked at the little infant. Hanzo was aware of his wife's presence, turning his head to hers, then back to the infant. Edith couldn't help but smile. This was the only time Hanzo got to hold their son without him crying. Edith looked up at her husband, who was also grinning.

 

"There, there." He continued cradling the child. "Everything is alright."

 

After a while, the child stopped crying and just made little sounds, staring at his father with his small, blue eyes. The vampire looked up at his wife with a proud look on his face.

 

"I told you he loves you." Edith stated.

 

"That could change when he gets older."

 

"No it won't, Hanzo. Riku will love you no matter what."

 

Right as he was going to say something, Hanzo stopped himself and looked down at the boy. He didn't want to cause him to cry nor argue with his wife, especially at this hour.

 

"You're right." Hanzo murmured. "Let us just cherish these special moments as they are."

 

Edith agreed. She made her way back to the bed while Hanzo was about to place Riku back into his crib. Suddenly, the vampire froze. He held the infant to his chest, standing up straight and staring out the door. Edith noticed her husband's behavior.

 

"Dear?" She called out to him. "Hanzo, what's wrong?"

 

He said nothing. In his arms, the infant began to cry again. This caused Edith to rush over to check on the baby. When she looked at her husband's face, she noticed that he was focused on something. Edith looked out the hallway, but she saw nothing. Without thinking, Hanzo gave the infant to Edith and rushed out of the room. Concerned, Edith followed. Once she left the room, Hanzo was nowhere in sight. Edith wanted to call out for her husband in desperation. Her heart beat began accelerating. Edith wondered what had caused the vampire to act so strangely. She wanted to go out and find him, but everything was so dark. She didn't want to walk in the darkness alone.

Edith also feared the possibility of tripping as she ran. She didn't want to hurt the baby. She held Riku close to her chest, hoping that her husband would return. What if he wasn't coming back? What if he just decided to just leave her? The thought began to bring tears to her eyes. Edith tried to reason with herself. Why would Hanzo want to leave so suddenly? Everything was going so well. Surely there was something that bothered the vampire. All of the sudden, Edith felt a strong force pulling her back into the room. Edith hadn't realized Hanzo had in fact returned as he was bringing her into their room. She turned around to find him pulling her into the corner of the room.

 

"Hanzo, what's going on?"

 

"Hunters."

 

"H-hunters?"

 

The vampire looked at her, causing her heart to nearly stop. She realized that the hunters he meant weren't regular hunters.

 

"H-how did you know they're here?"

 

"I could sense an unwanted presence. I'm guessing Riku sensed it too."

 

The sound of the door bursting open echoed in the hallway. It caused Edith to jump and yelp. Hanzo shushed the both of them as he instructed his wife,

 

"I want you to stay right here and whatever you do. Do not leave this room."

 

"B-but what about-"

 

"I will be fine. If they come in here, use this."

 

Hanzo handed his wife a dagger he had gotten from the kitchen. Edith had never held any kind of weapon before in her life. She could barely stare at it. She lifted her head up at her husband, tears spilling down her eyes.

 

"I promise I will return. Please keep Riku calm while I handle this."

 

"Why can't I go out there and try to persuade them?" Edith insisted. "Surely they'll listen to me."

 

"The last time you tried to stand up for me and reason with them, you were nearly killed. It's a possibility these hunters will mistake you to be a witch or a vampire as well. So please, for our son's sake, stay here."

 

There was no other choice. Edith nodded her head in agreement. Hanzo placed the dagger next to her, making sure she wouldn't be able to lose it. Immediately, the vampire rushed out of the room in a blink of an eye. Edith rocked her son as she hummed his favorite lullaby to calm down. She prayed that her husband comes back to her safe and sound and the hunters just leave them be.

 

 

Hanzo approached the main room where he had first met his beloved wife. He didn't want to make his appearance to the hunters just yet. Perhaps he could taunt the hunters for a while. Or he could give them a small warning and have them running out of his property. Then again, they would probably bring more hunters, or even an entire village. He wasn't going to let them bring harm to his son or his wife. Hanzo peered around the wall to find seven vampire hunters. Most of them appeared to be young and reckless. They must be here to try and prove their worth by bringing his head. Hanzo watched as the hunters scanned around the room with their lanterns in hand and crossbows in the other. A few made small steps inside of the mansion while the rest remained right where they were.

 

"Come out you demon!" screamed the man who appeared to be the leader. "Stop hiding in the shadows like the coward you are!"

 

'Oh, I'll hide in the shadows.' Hanzo murmured to himself. He decided to wait and see if these hunters were truly threatening or not.

 

The group made their way down to the dining room. As they scanned around the area, they found nothing important or strange to them. The hunters then entered the kitchen, pulling out anything they could find. Hanzo clenched his fists tightly. He so badly wanted to rip their throats out and shred them to pieces. His wife had worked so hard on planting the fruits and vegetables for them to eat. If they keep ruining them, his wife and son will have nothing to eat. Thankfully, the hunters didn't throw out all of their food.

 

"It's just a bunch of gardening food." the leader stated.

 

"Why would a vampire eat gardening food?" asked one of the hunters.

 

"There's meat stored, but it's all animal meat. Not human flesh." Another chimed in.

 

"Perhaps someone lives here and we're trespassing."

 

"Or the vampire is just storing his food within the catacombs of his mansion."

 

Hanzo did indeed store blood away. However they wouldn't be able to find it. Nobody could go into his dungeon, not even his own wife. Only he knew how to get in and how to get out. The hunters decided to split up into two groups. Hanzo watched as they exited the dining room area. One group went upstairs while the other remained down. Hanzo realized that the ones heading upstairs were heading to Riku and Edith's location.  He won't let them bring any harm to his family. Quickly, the vampire rushed into the shadows while the hunters dashed up, breaking down every door they saw. Each room they entered were empty. Before they could go down the corridors any further, Hanzo appeared before them, standing dead center.

Immediately, the hunters froze in their tracks. They stared at him in shock, as if they had never seen a vampire in their entire life. None of them moved an inch. It appeared that they were too afraid to move. Maybe Hanzo could spare some lives by giving them a simple warning. If all goes wrong, then he will resort to violence.

 

"What do you seek in this mansion?"

 

"We-we..." One hunter stuttered. "We seek no-nothing but your head! Demon!"

 

A dark chuckle escaped the vampire's throat. "Oh? Is that all you truly seek?"

 

"Whatever it is you wish to offer us you monster, we will not accept it!"

 

"I am not offering you any treasures or rewards. I am offering you a chance. A chance of life." Hanzo lifted his hand up, pointing at the hunters. "I want you and your allies to leave my mansion and never return here. I will not bring you any harm if you exit my home now."

 

"We will leave once you are dead!" One of the hunters exclaimed. "We will now allow you to bring any more harm and terror to our people!"

 

It didn't seem like reasoning with them would make them leave. All of these fools were too afraid of the unknown, they'd rather have things they do not understand dead and gone. No matter. One of the hunters grabbed his crossbow, aiming it at Hanzo. The vampire swiftly dodged it. He teleported behind one of the hunters. He appeared to be the weakest out of the group. Hanzo jammed his hand deep into the man's back, pulling out his still beating heart. The hunters spun around quickly, staring in horror at the gruesome scene. They pulled out their crossbows as quickly as they could, shooting at the vampire. Hanzo dropped the corpse and his heart, fleeing into the shadows.

He then reappeared and charged at one of the other remaining three hunters. He slashed the man's throat with one swift move. The blood spilled onto the vampire's face, which was full with satisfaction with his kill. He stared at the remaining survivor with his cold stare. One of the foolish hunter screamed at the top of his lungs, pulling out a dagger.He began swinging it around, hoping he would put some kind of scratch on the vampire. Of course, he was much too late delivering the blows. Hanzo toyed with the hunter, taking a few steps back each time the hunter attempted to jab the dagger into the vampire's flesh. Then, the hunter went for the face. He was only able to get a small cut on Hanzo's cheek. He froze, feeling the hot blood dripping down his cheek.

Hanzo pressed his fingers against his cheek, feeling the warm liquid on his hands. He grinned with satisfaction. This scared the ever life out of the hunter, he ended up dropping his dagger. Before he could make a run for it, Hanzo pounced on him, holding tightly onto his neck.

 

"I gave you one warning. One. Simple. Warning. Humans are so foolish. Sometimes you should listen to the demons, otherwise you'll end up getting yourself killed."

 

Hanzo revealed his sharp fangs to the hunter. He began sinking his teeth into the man's neck, pulling at the flesh. He ignored the man's painful screaming, which ended up turning into nothing but gargles and choking. Each time Hanzo bit into the flesh, he would rip it off, spitting it out Cowardly blood did taste much better than heroic blood. There was no need to eat his flesh. The blood tasted much better. Once the man went limp and ceased his gargles, all that was left was a blood and mauled corpse. Hanzo got up to his feet, staring at the dead bodies. He couldn't hide them now. He wouldn't have time to store them into his cellar. Suddenly, Hanzo could hear the footsteps of the other three hunters from downstairs.

They were coming for him.

Suddenly, Hanzo then began hearing the cries of his son. The vampire turned around and was about to make a run for his bedroom, however he was so caught up with his son's crying, he hadn't had time to hear the sounds of the hunters' footsteps that had gotten so close to him. He felt a sharp pain coming from his back. Something had pierced right into his flesh. Another wave of pain hit him, this time in his legs. Hanzo collapsed onto the ground, he looked down to see he had been shot with arrows. Not just any ordinary arrows. They had silver in them.

He attempted to pull them out, but then another shot at his hand, causing him to yelp in pain. He looked up to find the leader of the hunters towering over him. Through all of it, the sounds of his son crying echoed within Hanzo's mind. He couldn't allow these mortals to kill him yet. He had to be there for his little boy. Before the hunter could shoot him in his head, the vampire disappeared into the shadows, not giving the hunters enough time to even react. The leader shouted,

 

"After him!"

 

Hanzo could hear them from behind. Luckily he was much quicker than they were, but they would find his wife and son if he didn't cover up the blood trail he was leaving. Hanzo looked down at the arrows that were stuck in the back of his leg and into his ankles. The vampire stopped in his tracks, clutching tightly onto the arrow buried deep into his ankle. He let out a hiss as he yanked it out. Hanzo tossed the arrow aside, trying to ignore the stinging pain. He needs to get these damn things out. He can't allow them to stay stuck inside him, other wise it would be much more difficult to pull out later. Next, he pulled onto the one that was lodged in the back of his leg. After he pulled out all of his arrows into his legs and in his hand, he then had to get the one out of his back. It was harder to get out as he had to bend backwards, which was even more as each time he tried to pull the arrow out of his back, it would hurt him. Finally, he got the arrow free, throwing it against the wall.

The hunters footsteps were getting closer.

Hanzo had to think quickly. Should he hide in another room? Should he lead them back around downstairs? Hanzo felt too weak to even attack anymore. Drinking their blood would be the only way to get his strength back. Only problem was he was too weak and weary. If he attempted to try and attack them, they would get the upper hand and he would die. All that he could do for now was to run. He limped down the hallway, struggling to stay on both feet as the pain shot through his legs. He wanted to pull the arrow that was in his back out before it would get stuck. Hanzo froze immediately in his tracks as the sound of doors breaking echoed in the corridors. They were searching for him...or were they searching for...

 

"Edith!"

 

 

The brunette and her son remained still in the corner of the bedroom. The door was visible from where Edith was. She had been able to adjust her eyes to the darkness and could see the outline of it. Riku had calmed down, however he had not fallen asleep. The sounds of his little breathing and her heartbeat were all that the brunette could hear. She did hear the sound of screaming from before, which she tried to block out by singing to herself and to Riku. It had been a long time since Hanzo returned. Was he alright? Did the hunters kill him? Did they take his body and leave? Are they still here, searching for others? The thought of losing her husband and her son was unbearable to think about.

She already lost her parents and her sister. What more does this cruel world want from her?

Edith jumped as she heard the sound of banging came from down the hallway. Was that Hanzo? No. That couldn't be him. She heard more and more banging, each getting closer. Riku started crying once more, causing Edith to panic. She shushed her son, repeating, "It's alright." and "Hush now." Her humming did nothing to soothe the baby's fear. Neither did it soothe Edith. The brunette let out a yelp as their door was flung wide open. She saw the light of the lantern and three men entering the room. They had their crossbows aimed at her, however they just looked at her, examining whether or not she was a threat. All Edith could do was whimper and beg,

 

"Please don't hurt my baby."

 

The men glanced at one another, unsure what to do. The leader approached Edith, causing her to back as deep as she could into the corner.

 

"Are you one of them?"

 

"H-huh?"

 

"Are you one of them?" He repeated.

 

Edith realized he was asking if she was either human or vampire. She uttered out with a weak voice,

 

"I-I'm human."

 

"Are you?"

 

"Y-yes!" Edith cried. "Please! Please believe me! And please don't hurt my baby! Please don't hurt my baby!"

 

The men didn't appear to trust her word. The leader asked, "How long have you been trapped here?"

 

"Trapped? I-I'm not trapped-"

 

"So you're living with that demon?"

 

Edith's eyes widened. Her husband was no demon! Riku begin to cry even louder, which annoyed one of the men as he blurted,

 

"Just get her out of here! We'll take her to the village and see if she's human or a witch!"

 

"How do we not know she's a vampire, either?"

 

"She didn't react negatively to the light." The calmer hunter stated. "There is a possibility the vampire kept her a prisoner here. Or she could have married the vampire and had a child with him."

 

Edith wanted to say something. Her fear prevented her from speaking. Even though she was afraid, maybe if she kept herself silent, she might prevent both herself and her baby from getting killed by these men. Slowly, while the leader wasn't looking, Edith reached down for the dagger on the floor that her husband had gave her. He turned back to her and asked her,

 

"Has the demon kept you here, or did you stay here on your own accord?"

 

"He's not a demon!" Edith cried. "He's just protecting me!"

 

"Protecting you!?"

 

"Yes! From men like you!"

 

"A witch!" The irritated hunter cried. "She's a witch! She consorted with the devil and gave birth to his spawn!"

 

The brunette stared in shock. She wanted to yell at the man for calling her baby a spawn! He was anything but a child of the devil! The leader pulled Edith up from the ground, attempting to grab her son. Out of fear, Edith took the dagger and slashed at the man's face. He yelled in pain, dropping his weapon and pressed his hand against his wounded eye. Edith realized what she had done. Dropping her weapon and holding Riku tightly to her chest, the brunette rushed out of the room while the other hunters went to their leader to help him.

 

 

"Kill her!" The leader shouted. "Kill that fucking witch!"

 

Edith ran as fast as she could, dashing through the darkness. She didn't care if she didn't know where she was going. All that mattered was the safety of her baby. She could hear the sounds of the hunters behind her with their leather and armor echoing in the corridors. The hunters shot their crossbows at her. Thankfully, they missed each time. As she kept running, Edith began to feel warm liquid on the floors. She didn't want to assume the worse happened to her husband. She assumed that it was blood from somebody else. All of the sudden, she heard the sound of a man screaming in pain. Edith stopped in her tracks, turning around to see if the men were still behind her. Of course she saw nothing but a black void.

Did Hanzo save her? Did he stop the hunters before they could get to her? Was he even still alive? Edith wanted to continue running, but her mind kept telling her stay still and wait. If she did keep running, what would happen if she hit a dead end? What if she hit the wall and it injured Riku? All Edith could do was stand frozen in her tracks, surrounded by the darkness. She tried to adjust her eyes to see what was in the area close to her. After a few minutes, the sound of a man's dying scream echoed in the corridors, causing both Edith and Riku to break down into tears. She collapsed onto her knees, praying that her husband was still alive. She prayed to whomever was listening to her that Hanzo was alive. And if he wasn't, she prayed that she and her baby would be safe. Edith repeated Hanzo's name over and over, hoping that he would appear before her and wrap his warm arms around her, comforting both her and their baby.

Minutes passed by and nobody had shown up. Nobody came after her and tried to kill her or their baby. Was she all alone? Was everyone in the mansion dead? Edith didn't want to be alone. She didn't want to be alone anymore. The brunette lifted her head up, noticing a light in the distance. It got closer and closer to her. Mixed emotions filled Edith's heart. Was it Hanzo? Was it one of the hunters? The figure got closer to her. All fears and doubts vanished once Edith saw who it was. Standing before her was Hanzo, injured and covered in blood. The light illuminated through the darkness, almost blinding Edith. Edith stared for a moment, unsure if her eyes were playing tricks on her. She prayed that this wasn't a cruel joke and the hunter was just using Hanzo's corpse as a puppet. Edith lifted herself up, Riku still in her arms.

 

"H-Hanzo..." She whimpered. "Is it really you?"

 

A smile formed on the vampire's face. "Who else would it be, my love?"

 

Hearing his voice caused the girl to break into tears. She nuzzled herself and the baby against Hanzo's chest. He wrapped his free arm around her as they both cried. He pat his wife back, assuring her that everything was alright.

 

"I-I thought I lost you!"

 

"My darling, no mortal can kill me so easily."

 

Edith looked up at her husband, noticing the scratch on his face. She pressed one hand against his cheek, asking him,

 

"Are you alright?"

 

"I am. I healed myself by drinking some of the hunters blood." Then, he remembered something. "Oh, you wouldn't mind trying to get this arrow out of my back, would you?"

 

"What?"

 

Hanzo motioned for Edith to walk behind him. She did so, feeling around his back. She found where the arrow was. Luckily it didn't pierce his spine. Edith held onto it, trying to pull it out. She stopped when she heard her husband hiss in pain.

 

"Hanzo, I don't want to hurt you."

 

"Then yank it out."

 

"No! That will make it worse!"

 

"Dear, just yank it out. I promise that I'll be fine."

 

Hesitantly, Edith placed her hand back onto the arrow. With all her strength, she pulled at the arrow. It came out, some of the blood trickling down her arm. Edith squeaked, dropping the arrow onto the ground. Hanzo turned around to face his wife. He wanted to give her a kiss, however he decided against it as there was blood covering his face.

 

"D-did you-" Edith stuttered, too afraid to finish her question.

 

"Kill them? Well, I gave them a warning. But then they attacked me and I killed them."

 

"All of them?"

 

"Yes. Why?"

 

Edith remembered the leader of the hunters. He must be still lingering in their bedroom! Maybe he's coming this way. Maybe Hanzo killed him while she ran away from them. That immediately changed as an arrow went flying passed them. Edith screamed, almost being hit by it. Hanzo looked up to find a wounded vampire hunter stumbling towards them. Blood spilled down the side of his face, right where Edith had scratched at his face. Hanzo glared at the man, having Edith stand right behind him. The leader had a small, wooden stake in his hands that would be able to pierce right through the vampire's heart. The hunter charged towards both the vampire and his wife. As he got closer, Hanzo reacted quickly, taking his wife and son and moving them swiftly out of the way. They were out of the hunter's sight with a blink of an eye. He froze in place, looking around to find them. Right as he was about to turn around, Hanzo had bitten down into the man's neck, his teeth sinking deep into his flesh.

He drained some blood out of the man's body, but not too much. He wanted to keep him alive to make him suffer. He wanted him to feel the pain and terror that he and his wife had felt. The vampire let go of the man, who collapsed onto his knees and held onto his neck tightly. He grabbed the stake that he had dropped, swinging it at the vampire. Hanzo took a few steps back, watching the pathetic man scream in rage, shouting nonsense and useless words towards him.

 

"I'll kill you, you demon! I'll kill all of your kind until there's none of you left! Neither your blood or your spawns will ruin this world with your wickedness!"

 

"Humanity is spreading its wickedness much more by killing and destroying things they don't understand."

 

Angered, the hunter charged at the vampire once more. Hanzo was able to disarm the hunter by grabbing him from behind and tossing him against the wall. The wooden stake fell out of his grasp, which he struggled to get with his still bleeding eye. Hanzo yanked the man up by his hair, glaring at him with his crimson eyes.

 

"I could just let you go and leave you to rot, however I know you will come back with more men. I cannot allow you to live and tell the others what you've seen here."

 

"Even if you kill me, more hunters will come after you! They won't stop until all of your kind are dead."

 

"Well...that's a shame, then."

 

With no warning, Hanzo jabbed his thumb into the hunter's other eye, blinding him permanently. He wanted to give him the most painful death out of all the hunters. He tried to bring harm to his wife. He and his men tried to kill him, his wife, and his baby boy. This man was the one in charge of this attack. He was going to pay greatly. The hunter yelled in agony, cursing at the vampire.

 

"Damn you! Damn you! Damn you, your wicked wife, and your spawn to hell! Damn you all!"

 

Hanzo took the wooden stake that was close by. The hunter struggled to get back onto his feet, only to meet his end as the vampire impaled him with his very own weapon. The vampire slowly sunk the stake deep into the man's chest, piercing his heart in the process. He then began to repeatedly stab the man with the stake until his entire body was covered in blood. After the final blow, Hanzo left the weapon in his chest, watching as he convulsed and bled out. After a short while, the man finally stopped moving. Hanzo just stood where he was, feeling nothing. He felt no remorse, no anger, no happiness. He felt nothing. The sounds of his son crying had stopped. Hanzo turned around as Edith hesitantly approached, their son in her arms.

He approached his wife, asking her,

 

"Are you alright?"

 

The brunette nodded her head, biting her lower lip as she tried to hold her tears back.

 

"Why...why are people so cruel? Why would they want to hurt you? Why would they want to kill our baby...why...?!"

 

Hanzo wished he could answer her questions, but not even he knew why. Humans just feared what was part of the unknown. Many feared because it went against their religion or the possibility of being harmed or killed. The vampire wished that humans could see that not all of his kind are violent, but then again, it flows through their veins. They became savages when their land is threatened. Humans are the same. They resort to violence if they are threatened. But at the same time, they want to be seen as the dominate species.

Edith looked at their baby, who was staring at his mother as she cried,

 

"I...I don't want our baby to live in a cruel and heartless world...but I know he will have to come face to face with such awful things...and...and I-I'm scared that he will get hurt...and-and-"

 

Her sentence was interrupted as her husband shushed her, pressing his non-bloody finger on her lips.

 

"Do not worry, my dear. As long as we teach our son about the world, have him know what is right and wrong, then we won't have to worry about anything."

 

"B-but what if-"

 

Again, Hanzo shushed his wife. "My love, everything will be fine. Maybe one day, humans will no longer fear my kind, and our son can live among them. Maybe one day...they will accept us."

 

More tears spilled down Edith's face. She wanted to feel her husband's embrace, however he was covered in blood. Hanzo too wanted to embrace his wife. Instead, he placed his non-bloody hand on her shoulder. The vampire turned his attention to his son, who was just staring up at his mother in confusion. He was surprised his son wasn't crying right now. As he stared at the boy, Hanzo began to wonder if the humans would indeed accept his son in their society. They might not change now, but hopefully they will one day accept the unknown. When that day came, maybe his son will show the humans that not all vampires are cruel or violent as many believed.  
Maybe one day...

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter. I might write some more stuff later, but I dunno when I post them.  
> Hope you enjoyed the story :>


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